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Language oddities and funnies

Started by Dave, June 12, 2017, 04:39:42 PM

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Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 05, 2017, 07:37:03 PM
Quote from: Dave on September 05, 2017, 07:29:37 PM
One for you, Hermes. I suddenly thought of the word "poppycock" (with immediate jokey thoughts about the genitalia of flowers) and decided to look it up.

Guess who we stole it from!

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.


(I fear this "word popping" and the instant need for a definition or etymology is a common infliction I suffer...)

I am a fellow sufferer! The Dutch kak can be traced back to the Greek kakos. There is also a word I don't hear too much: cack-handed.

Same root for "cac" in cacophony goes to "cack" = "excrement". But the original just means "bad". But, as these things go, yup, "bad" gets turned into "shit" over the centuries!

Hmm, lot of cacophony, modern sense, around in the current music scene to my ears.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

You might enjoy this documentary series, if you haven't watched it already:



(It's hosted by the 'In Our Time' guy :grin:)
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


hermes2015

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on September 07, 2017, 02:41:53 AM
You might enjoy this documentary series, if you haven't watched it already:



(It's hosted by the 'In Our Time' guy :grin:)

Thank you. I will watch it later today when I get back home.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 07, 2017, 05:23:34 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on September 07, 2017, 02:41:53 AM
You might enjoy this documentary series, if you haven't watched it already:



(It's hosted by the 'In Our Time' guy :grin:)

Thank you. I will watch it later today when I get back home.

Ditto, got my pre-procedure checks today.

And thst's Lord Melvyn to you... :D
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

:grin:

There are 8 episodes in all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_English

Quote from: Dave on September 07, 2017, 06:31:22 AM
And thst's Lord Melvyn to you... :D

:snooty:

Maybe I should say 'In your time and culture' guy. ;)
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Dave

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on September 07, 2017, 07:12:13 AM
:grin:

There are 8 episodes in all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_English

Quote from: Dave on September 07, 2017, 06:31:22 AM
And thst's Lord Melvyn to you... :D

:snooty:

Maybe I should say 'In your time and culture' guy. ;)

Think I have his book of the same title somewhere.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Ecurb Noselrub

History of the English language.

There were a bunch of heathens with Celtic/Germanic/Scandinavian language. Then in 1066 the Norman French invaded and brought some Latin in there.  Then everyone in the world started coming to England.  Then some people escaped to American/Australia/Canada/New Zealand.  Then other stuff got added.  Then simmer at low heat for 500 years, and you have English.

hermes2015

Quote from: hermes2015 on September 07, 2017, 05:23:34 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on September 07, 2017, 02:41:53 AM
You might enjoy this documentary series, if you haven't watched it already:



(It's hosted by the 'In Our Time' guy :grin:)

Thank you. I will watch it later today when I get back home.

It turns out that I saw the series a few years ago and thought it was good then. I think I will go through it all again.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

joeactor

Interesting looking documentary on English... Must find time to watch.

Meanwhile, I found this bit on recreating Shakespeare's English for the Globe:


Really thought the rhyming insights were amazing...

Dave

#54
Quote from: joeactor on September 08, 2017, 09:20:46 PM
Interesting looking documentary on English... Must find time to watch.

Meanwhile, I found this bit on recreating Shakespeare's English for the Globe:


Really thought the rhyming insights were amazing...

Thanks a lot for that, Joe. I love Shakespeare and his use of words and that just added a new dimension for me as well!

The prologue to H5 is probably my favourite, especially that of Derek Jacobi in Branagh's version.



Now .I am wondering what it really sounded like! We only had a taste above.

(Note to self, must investigate Ben Jonson further as well, his, "Language best shows a man, speak that I might know you", just reinforces how important our choice or use of words, our vocabulary, our accent etc. can be. Tbe words you use say it all . . .
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

joeactor

Quote from: Dave on September 08, 2017, 09:57:24 PM
Quote from: joeactor on September 08, 2017, 09:20:46 PM
Interesting looking documentary on English... Must find time to watch.

Meanwhile, I found this bit on recreating Shakespeare's English for the Globe:


Really thought the rhyming insights were amazing...

Thanks a lot for that, Joe. I love Shakespeare and his use of words and that just added a new dimension for me as eell!

(Note to self, must investigate Ben Jonson further as well, his, "Language best shows a man, speak that I might know you", just reinforces how important our choice or use of words, our vocabulary, our accent etc. can be. Tbe words you use say it all . . .

Indeed - I'd love to see a performance in the OP English. Sounds like it'd be a whole 'nother show!

Dave

What means a word? Lot's if it is the simple, monosyllabic "set" it seems!

It takes the OED 60, 000 words (the length of a short novel, about 30 pages in the OED's format) to define its 58 uses as a noun, 126 as a verb and 10 as a participal adjective. "Round" takes a mere 15, 000 words,

Still reading Bill Bryson's book . . .
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

Lifehack are seeking to reinstate some old words, though there is at least one, "scurrilous", that I have heard fairly recently.

I am definitely a librocubularist and have probably been guilty of ultracrepidarianism

If we are bringing back old words and meanings can we give "trump" it's 16thC meaning I wonder

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

#58
From Silver's "Help needed" thread we had a mention if "irregardless", perhaps in the context of a Bushism.

If it was George W's invention I can see why he might have made it. We have "relevant" and "irrelevant" so why not "regardless" and "irregardless"? Most adverbs have opposites, why not "regardless"? It is a negative sort of word on its own, adding "ir" makes it doubly negative - but that makes it a positive does it not? If so "irregardless" sort of means "because of" or "due to" . . . :touge-in-cheek:

English, even the English find it confusing  :grin:


Later: just dawned on me that "with regards to" is the opposite of "regardless of" - then I thought of "regards" used as an expression of respect, "My regards to you..." And another web of, contexts, links and meanings opens.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

Quote from: Dave on September 18, 2017, 08:43:49 AM
From Silver's "Help needed" thread we had a mention if "irregardless", perhaps in the context of a Bushism.

If it was George W's invention I can see why he might have made it. We have "relevant" and "irrelevant" so why not "regardless" and "irregardless"? Most adverbs have opposites, why not "regardless"? It is a negative sort of word on its own, adding "ir" makes it doubly negative - but that makes it a positive does it not? If so "irregardless" sort of means "because of" or "due to" . . . :touge-in-cheek:

English, even the English find it confusing  :grin:


Later: just dawned on me that "with regards to" is the opposite of "regardless of" - then I thought of "regards" used as an expression of respect, "My regards to you..." And another web of, contexts, links and meanings opens.

I always though that it was a contraction of irrespective and regardless, which is a bit of a tautology.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames