The Mozzling Thread

[zelda_pinwheel]

heh, good point ; but i think the problem there is not so much lack of rules but proliferation of exceptions, due to the various origins of words which have been adopted into english over centuries. there are nonetheless some rules, although they may not be obvious. one of them concerns the pronunciation of the letter "g" depending on what letter(s) follow it (hard followed by another consonant or by vowels a, o, u and sometimes i (give); soft followed by e and sometimes i (frigid)).

french also has similar rules, and also has exceptions, which can make it hard to understand / identify the rules sometimes.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

then again, it would be the perfect occasion to exhaust the list of synonyms for "thingummy", "trucmuche" and "dingsbums"....

puckee...

[akiburis]

but if there is no e after the g, it would be pronounced as a hard g (as in "green"), not as a soft g (as in "gentle"). this is why i added the e, the same as why there is an e but no u in french (hard g would be spelled chronophague).

what is the rule that you are basing your spelling on ?

Yes, it would be pronounced with a hard "g." Extremely uneuphonious. Which, as I noted, could well be why it was never taken up in English.

The only rule I based my observation on is that since the root is "-phag(o)-" and the suffix "-ous", no "e" comes in if the word is normally constructed (without the insertion of an arbitrary "e" for the sake of euphony). The French word has the same roots but is built differently. The only comparable English word I can think of is "anthropophagous" (man-eating, or cannibalistic), which is rare and would probably only be used facetiously, anyway.

[zelda_pinwheel]

ha ok, thanks for clarifying that. of course, since this is a completely made up word, we probably can stretch the poetic licence far enough to include a superfluous "e" for the sake of ameliorated euphony. purists of course can revert to using "choronophagous" if they choose, which in my opinion (while somewhat less euphonic) is still a completely cromulent word.

[Taylor514ce]

But it isn't "completely made up", except insofar as all words are such. It's distinctly Latin. Yes, I'm a purist. A thoroughly corrupted, inconsistent, contradictory, adulterated purist.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

But it isn't "completely made up", except insofar as all words are such. It's distinctly Latin.

yes, sorry, that was inaccurate of me, since it is a legitimate word in french (in the dictionary and all) and clearly comes directly from latin (which last i checked was also considered a legitimate language). what i should have said was, its adoption into english is sketchy and thoroughly unofficial (for the moment...).

Yes, I'm a purist. A thoroughly corrupted, inconsistent, contradictory, adulterated purist.

:irony mark:

[Taylor514ce]

Irony Mark? That's brilliant, canard

[zelda_pinwheel]

and the same to you, poussin.

[Donnageddon]

Originally Posted by slayda

Are there any spelling rules in English? If so then how could the words; to, too, and two (or if you prefer so, sow, and sew) all be pronounced the same.

So you intend to sew a sweater before go into the field to sow the corn you intend to feed your sow that you have raised for your breakfast bacon?

[zelda_pinwheel]

well, *i* certainly don't ; i'm a vegetarian.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Irony Mark? That's brilliant, canard

Wow, so is the punctuation mark you used. I quoted it just so I could see what the thing was ... and I'm thrilled to see it's actually called a "pointdamour". Wow!

[akiburis]

But it isn't "completely made up", except insofar as all words are such. It's distinctly Latin.

Well, it's Greek, actually. I think the Latinate equivalent would be "temporivorous" (or in French "temporivore").

[Taylor514ce]

Thank you for the correction. I should have known that; now I'm embarrassed.

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I am reminded instantly of the time on The Simpsons when Homer was listening in his sleep to what was meant to be a subliminal weight-reducing tape, but instead was a vocabulary-improver. In the end, after he'd given it up (and after we got to watch Homer use all sorts of delightfully tasty words), there's a final scene...

Homer: Marge, where's that... metal deely... you use to... dig... food...
Marge: You mean, a spoon?
Homer: Yeah, yeah!

I don't quote this to make light (well, okay, maybe a little), T. I say it because its instant recollection is because I am known (mostly to the Loved One, to whom I can't prepare and fake otherwise) for being unable to get the words out. For me it's "the...thing...with the thing...you know...for turning...barbecue...".

Cheers,
Marc

When my wife has a migraine headache, one of the most obvious symptoms is that she starts losing words. On one infamous occasion she told me to "put the thingy on the thingy by the thingy!"... extremely emphatically.

I had to ask for a translation. Of course, I didn't realize at the time that she had a migraine, so starting with "I'd like to buy a noun..." was a particularly back move.

Xenophon
(Now Dr. Xenophon!)

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

:irony mark:

I love this. Something akin to emotifaction except intelligent rather than a silly grin or frowny face.