tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Feb 13 18:42:36 1997

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RE: Word Origin Speculation II

February 13, 1997 10:19 AM EST, jatlh 'Iwvan:

> > >pI' = fat (pig),
> > 
> > Never thought of that one.
> 
> Seems bogus to me.  You can prove anything if you settle for just
> two matching sounds.

I'd imagine that Okrand would've used {pIgh} for that, but he didn't.  Rather, 
it means "ruins."  (Hmmm . . . I want to use that word . . .)

> > > 'IH = beautiful (ick), [...]
> 
> So English [k] can correspond to {H} and (presumably) {Q} and {'}
> as well as {q}.  That's the slippery slope of wishful thinking that
> eventually gets one to derive Middletown from Marmaduke.

No, it's just that English doesn't have the letters to say {'IH}.  It's not an 
exact transliteration, it's just a common grunt to say when you see something 
icky.

> I take it {mob} `be alone' is what you don't when in a mob?

I bet that's it . . .

> > >2)  Reversies.  That is, forming synonyms or antonyms by saying the
> > >words backwards:  megh = lunch,  ghem = midnight snack, puq = child,
> > >Qup = young,
> 
> Make that {qup} `elder', quite appropriate, actually. -- The notions
> of {batlh} `honour' and {tlhab} `freedom' are also sort of related.

Oooohhh!  Now THOSE are nice!!!

> > >4)  Internal changes:  In some cases synonyms are created by changing
> > >the middle vowel:  [...] ghur = increase (go up), ghIr = decrease (go
> > >down), [...].
> 
> Bzzt.  {ghIr} is `descend', the opposite of {Sal} `ascend', and `decrease'
> is {nup}.

Ack!  Kinda ruins my whole {ghur},{ghIr} / {Dung}, {bIng} idea, I guess.  :(

> > >The word <<mIr>> for chain is an interesting one because it seems
> > >to derive from Soviet propaganda.  Workers of the world unite!  You
> > >have nothing to lose but your CHAINS.  The word MIR! peace is an
> > >ever-recurring word in Soviet propaganda.
> 
> Quatsch.  Having been exposed to more Russian text of all genres than
> most people on this forum, I can testify that the sentence with the
> chains (unlike the immediately preceding one) was not often quoted in
> Soviet political writing; I don't even know its canonical Russian
> translation (in so far as there is one).  And of course words meaning
> `peace' recur all the time in every country's propaganda these days.

Whether *Russians* would agree with it is beside the point  It's what *Okrand* 
was thinking that is relevant.  (I don't buy it, myself . . .)

> I wonder when someone will suggest that {yuD} is derived from the
> stereotypical Christian perception of Jews.  Or is that too imPC?

I thought it was {yID}  :-)

(That's a joke!!!  That's not a real word!!!  --  This message was brought to 
you by the Anti-Armpit Coalition of Kronos.)

> For the curious:  {wa'} looks very much like the Ancient Egyptian
> <w`> `one', and {maH} is practically identical to the Ossetic word
> for `we'.

Gee, it sounds a whole like "one," as well!  (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97122.7

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