The English Language

[Mapguy]

Problem is, the meanings of words do change. Seems especially so in English. That can be bewildering. Unfortunately, given that an awful lot of dirty old crotchety (no, crotch-scratching is more accurate) anglophones have settled in Chiang Mai that they have come up with their own patois, a word like "happy" used in the wrong context creates a lot of giggles --- and, maybe, unfortunately, more prospective business at certain places than the proprieters need or wish to handle.

Another very unfortunate (can't possibly be more than innocent!) name of a restaurant on Nimmenhamin Road is "Eat Me." Or should we ask why haven't they changed the name? Certainly someone strolling along Chiang Mai's trendiest road has clued the owners in on their (blush, blush) faux pas.

Now, since UG seems uncharacteristically quiet as an apologist for air pollution given the current awful haze, perhaps he can start another food thread!

[orang37]

Sawdusted Cupcakes, Khun Cartographic-Person,

Language is liquid, language is alive, language evolves, devolves, fungi grow on it, mutant sports flourish and become mainstream. Patois, jargon, lingo, cant, dialect, argot, creole, pidgin' : all voices in the choir. Etymologies, like archaeological sites, are often layered accretions of history, remnants of war, plague, renewal, migration.

The tabu, the antipodes, create a vacuum that sucks in the accidental and serendipitous : spits out what members of the cult of horns find tittilating.

Yes, many Anglophonies abound, rattling the chains of testosterone past, dying like mastodons from global chilling as the glaciers advance.

The mother-tongue will always be fickle and promiscuous; as a pagan I find that ample cause for celebrations involving human sacrifice !

~o:37;

[PhilHarries]

The mother-tongue will always be fickle and promiscuous; as a pagan I find that ample cause for celebrations involving human sacrifice !

~o:37;

See you Eostre then.

The problem with any living language is that it is constantly evolving with new words or new meanings for old words and the disappearance of old words. Some of this developement may be pleasing and some may not but one thing is for sure you cannot stop it.

[StevieH]

Sawdusted Cupcakes, Khun Cartographic-Person,

Language is liquid, language is alive, language evolves, devolves, fungi grow on it, mutant sports flourish and become mainstream. Patois, jargon, lingo, cant, dialect, argot, creole, pidgin' : all voices in the choir. Etymologies, like archaeological sites, are often layered accretions of history, remnants of war, plague, renewal, migration.

The tabu, the antipodes, create a vacuum that sucks in the accidental and serendipitous : spits out what members of the cult of horns find tittilating.

Yes, many Anglophonies abound, rattling the chains of testosterone past, dying like mastodons from global chilling as the glaciers advance.

The mother-tongue will always be fickle and promiscuous; as a pagan I find that ample cause for celebrations involving human sacrifice !

~o:37;

cracking post that. i love the evolution of language, it's an essential part of cultures growing and developing. have to say i rather draw the line at txtspk making it into the OED, like.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Quite agree with you. Language is a living thing full of flaws and wonder. We are lucky that the English language doesn't have some governing body to keep it pure or constant like Hebrew and French. English is a marvellous language. Hip hip...

[FolkGuitar]

Sawdusted Cupcakes, Khun Cartographic-Person,

Language is liquid, language is alive, language evolves, devolves, fungi grow on it, mutant sports flourish and become mainstream. Patois, jargon, lingo, cant, dialect, argot, creole, pidgin' : all voices in the choir. Etymologies, like archaeological sites, are often layered accretions of history, remnants of war, plague, renewal, migration.

The tabu, the antipodes, create a vacuum that sucks in the accidental and serendipitous : spits out what members of the cult of horns find tittilating.

Yes, many Anglophonies abound, rattling the chains of testosterone past, dying like mastodons from global chilling as the glaciers advance.

The mother-tongue will always be fickle and promiscuous; as a pagan I find that ample cause for celebrations involving human sacrifice !

~o:37;

Yeah.... wut he said. (whaddid he say?)

[Rasseru]

Yes, English is amazing. Through the deft use of a few carefully chosen words, the OP was even able to give the impression that his topic had a connection of some kind with Chiangmai.

[Greenside]

Yes, English is amazing. Through the deft use of a few carefully chosen words, the OP was even able to give the impression that his topic had a connection of some kind with Chiangmai.

Etymology of Words.........isn't that a tautology?

Or is that the study of cake? I'm confused.

[PeaceBlondie]

We sometimes make the error of thinking that the original definition remains the same. Then "suffer the little children to come onto me" means the children have to suffer before they come to him. "Cleave" seems to mean to cling to, and to cut into pieces. Ostracize means to throw a pottery shard out of the village with an undesired person's name on it. A hypocrite is just an actor in a play. We might mistakenly believe that psychological terms invented since 1850 - such as homosexual and homophobia - mean exactly what they meant in Greek or Latin. Nope. And gay has had as many meanings as fag.