Re: The myth of language evolution [was: Re: Vestigial subjunctive]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 02:29:00 GMT, "Chess One" <innes8@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>
>"Tony Cooper" <tony_cooper213@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:qlhdt193d5qrk2hset25qrnl1pl9c0furk@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:04:54 GMT, "Chess One" <innes8@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>>>A German shrink I know uses the term for nuttery for newsgroups. I have
>>>wondered at it, but I think he is neologising in English. He has also
>>>coined
>>>the term 'disgustful', which I like very much.
>>
>> Good man. How old would he be now?
>
>High 50's.
>
> > Since he "coined" a word -
>> disgustful - that is listed in several dictionaries, he must be
>> doddering by now.
>
>O - what logic! I have never seen it in use, anywhere, and I think he
>doesn't use a dictionary. Although, its probably worth another quibble. Why
>don't you?


I really like that! Generally, I kinda skim your posts just on the
off-chance that you might at least touch on something interesting.

This one, though, grabbed me. The jump of logic required to say that
this "shrink" can claim coinage of an extant word because he (1)
doesn't use a dictionary and (2) because *you* haven't seen the word
in use before is awesome. Truly awesome.

I hereby claim coinage of "quibble" as a German word meaning
"trembling lower lip". I do so on the basis that I have (1) never
opened a German dictionary, and (2) because I have never heard it used
thusly.


--


Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Foreigner(s)
    ... unusual usages in UK, no matter how 'legal' they are. ... uneducated or pretentious or intentionally rude native speaker. ... meal was not better than my German. ... But dictionaries often fail to tell the whole story. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: How are syllable boundaries determined
    ... English usage elsewhere for any appreciable time after ... Of course it's in the dictionaries, ... any appreciable time after the cessation of hostilities?" ... was whether "Boot" is the ordinary German word for 'boat'. ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Character description
    ... US term: root cellar. ... In German, ... Which isn't in any of the online dictionaries onelook.com searches. ... Also, since computers don't yet really understand human language, you are ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Character description
    ... frost-free cellar. ... In German, ... Which isn't in any of the online dictionaries onelook.com searches. ... matching is more processor intensive than whole-word matching.) ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Character description
    ... US term: root cellar. ... In German, ... Which isn't in any of the online dictionaries onelook.com searches. ... Though I guess pattern matching is more ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
Loading