Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs_Often
Well, sure, but... as per the above, it doesn't just seem like they're taking a word from another language because it's better, it seems like they're taking a random fun sounding word from another language and sticking a completely different meaning to it. Now that's just ridiculous.
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I'd have to disagree with you. Taking a look at wikipedia and it's discussion of smorgasbord, it fits pretty well with the common North American use of the word. It was not a matter of borrowing a
random funny sounding word, it was a matter of borrowing a funny sounding word that fit the need.
I would also mention that we need to remember that in North America while the majority might be English speaking outside their home, immigrants from many countries make up our societies so often words have transferred from other languages into English without the need for trips down a back alley -- a bit of arm twisting perhaps but nothing more.
Being Canadian, I must also admit that I find the efforts of the province of Quebec to defend the purity of the French language to be a source of amusement when compared to the laissez faire attitude of the rest of Canada towards the English language. Admittedly, living in an area where many shops don't bother with signs in English or French tends to encourage that amusement.
Regards,
David
Hhhmmmm.... perhaps we should end this discussion here as I can't see any way to relate this discussion to the topic of this thread.
DB