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Ok, the purpose of this thread is multiple.
Haven't you ever wondered the reason a word is as it is?
Have you ever thought that a word in particular is a bit too odd for you?
Has it ever crossed yer mind to ponder about the origin of certain words as well?

Well, if you ever have or have had any questions in particular about a word or many words, then this is the thread for you. We can discuss anything that has to do with words and, maybe even if you've ever made up words of yer very own. There's already a thread about yer favorite word but that's something else and that thread is at the tavern.

So, I suppose I should start so other members can see what this thread is about. For example, has anyone ever thought about how strange the word "Weird" is? I mean really! Who the heck came up with that word anyway? I know there are places to look up stuff like this (wikipedia for one) but, I was thinking we could also discuss what we know or, what we think when it comes to a particular word. Doesn't anyone else think that the word "weird" is indeed very weird itself? I wonder if this qualifies as ironic...

Anyways, discuss... mrgreen

Nice word Mel! I hadn't thought of that word either but it does sound very strange. 3nodding

And yes, words are as they are cuz they're meant to be as they are. And like you say, someone had to come up with them in the first place. This makes me wonder if they sometimes just threw letters together to make up a word cuz they got lazy. mrgreen

I agree with you on that "learning" thing cuz it's much easier to learn something with face or body language as well. It gets me to thinking, if there are any other cultures or living beings out there in the universe who can communicate like us, do they differ in their expressions or do they communicate in the manner we do as well? neutral

I agree Mel! If we can keep raising the conversation then great. 3nodding

I know a little about the English language, as it were. I know Old English came about from the Germanic tribes, and wasn't a formally used language until after the plague. Before that, English was spoken by peasants who had French rulers, therefore the English language absorbed several French words. For example names like Simon, Robert and Lauren are all French originated names. Words like Merchant for example, came from their original French counterpart. If only I could remember what that was, I'd post it here. At that time, French and Latin were spoken languages. Latin was used in the clergy, and French used by the nobles. English, as said before, wasn't used as a main language until sometime after the first plague.

After that, I don't really know much about what happened. I do know it became favored, so it developed more words from other languages such as the Greek, Italian, and European languages that surrounded the English speaking people.

That's my two cents worth and the extent of my knowledge of the formation of the English language at this present time. There is probably more buried in my subconscious mind, but it doesn't want to bring any of this knowledge to the present day right this minute.

Adding to what Mel said, the English language is one of those languages that absorbs words from other cultures at a rate never before seen. As we move through times when "kawaii" is replacing cool, and chatspeak spirals into common use, we're opening doors that our ancestors opened before we even got the chance to think about it. We just expand on it that little bit more.

From Holly Lisle


Meaning that the English language, while the most commonly used is the most bastardized language in existence. We steal from the French, Russian, Japanese, don't bat an eye when we move through Europe, vacate the continent and traipse through South America. Everyone we come into contact with makes an impact on our language, through both the media and the internet alike. For those of us who scream for originality in our writing, take a look at the language you use. Which country does the word you use in each sentence come from? What are the origins, have they had a different meaning to what they are used for today? Prime examples is the word gay. It used to mean happy; now it means a homosexual male. Or a word like emo which is short for emotive which used to mean emotional but now means sad and depressed. Emo fills the gap where Goth used to fit just nicely.

Likewise in fantasy, words generally evolve over time. Some names like Griffins and Hippogriffs have stayed the same through medieval history, while others may just have evolved without us noticing. No examples yet, but I may discover some later and then promptly forget the information. What fun we can have with words!

Cool! This thread has been active...

Sorry for not being here but I haven't had much time online lately. I've been on Gaia mostly to check whether or not I can win a better set of horns and that's it. Sometimes the office consumes much of the PC time here. 3nodding

Anyways, I have wondered about the beginnings of language and how some came from latin.

I've also heard how some countries have a history of invasions but, wasn't France invaded by the English at some point? The story of Joan of Arc springs to mind... xp

I'm glad Mel is very patriotic, I think most of us are but, one shouldn't take things too far. With this I'm talking about all those suicide bombers out there. I was reminded of this after seeing the video Mel posted on the youtube thread, he-he.

Yes Mel, very good!

I've often wondered why some words or phrases that are commonly used are usually in other languages like, French for example. Ever heard the word "Rendezvous"? I hear that quite a lot on movies or games that require people or units to meet secretly and I must say that it does sound cool to say "Rendezvous" instead of secret meeting/gathering, he-he.

It seems to me that my country has had more Coup d' etat that we've needed. One of the leaders of those groups who took power stayed for quite a long time even. 3nodding

So, does anyone else have words that they'd like to discuss here? neutral

I won't make any excuses about why I've not been active since you probably won't like them.

The word 'witty' is definitively weird. I might be the only one to think so, though. It just struck me as really, really weird after hearing Jude Law repeat it over and over again, complete with slow, deliberate emphasis(!), in Sleuth (a rather peculiar film itself). Now, whenever I read that word it's his voice saying it in my mind, all wwwitty-like, not to mention his face and that particular expression he wore most of the time during that scene.

Actually, there's a lot of words I think are strange, but most of them are in Norwegian. I can't seem to recall any of them right now, either. I hate it when that happens.

About the word 'gay', sometimes I wonder how many people know it also means happy. I know it only because I've read it in books and 'homosexual' didn't fit exactly fit the context; but then again, English is my second language. Still, sometimes I wonder. Anyhow, how on earth did a word with the meaning 'happy, full of fun; brightly coloured' become synonym with 'homosexual'? That indirectly says it's a good thing, yet a lot of people think the opposite. How strange.

Somehow I still end up rolling around whenever I read 'gay' in a book even though I know it's not homosexuals we're talking about.