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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Words that develop by mistake
A friend asked me why many people in North America "scarf down " a meal rather than "scoff down"." I explained that "scarf down" comes from "scoff down" and is technically a mistake, but once the usage becomes common it receives lexicographic respectability, e.g. "scarf" to mean "devour is recorded in the OED, albeit as slang.
I am trying to think of other words that developed in a similar fashion. The only ones that come to mind are "shamefaced" (orig, shamefast) "pea" (orig pease) and "chaise lounge" which is used more often than "chaise longue."
Any other ones?
I am trying to think of other words that developed in a similar fashion. The only ones that come to mind are "shamefaced" (orig, shamefast) "pea" (orig pease) and "chaise lounge" which is used more often than "chaise longue."
Any other ones?
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In article (Email Removed), (Email Removed) says... " I ... r
- In article (Email Removed), (Email Removed) says...
- " I ...
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195 Answers
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In article (Email Removed), (Email Removed) says...
[nq:1]A friend asked me why many people in North America "scarf down " a meal rather than "scoff down"." I ... "shamefaced" (orig, shamefast) "pea" (orig pease) and "chaise lounge" which is used more often than "chaise longue." Any other ones?[/nq]
"Flammable"..r
[nq:1]A friend asked me why many people in North America "scarf down " a meal rather than "scoff down"." I ... "shamefaced" (orig, shamefast) "pea" (orig pease) and "chaise lounge" which is used more often than "chaise longue." Any other ones?[/nq]
"Flammable"..r
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[nq:1]A friend asked me why many people in North America "scarf down " a meal rather than "scoff down"." I ... "shamefaced" (orig, shamefast) "pea" (orig pease) and "chaise lounge" which is used more often than "chaise longue." Any other ones?[/nq]
I cannot confirm, but I have heard that "egg" was originally "negg".
Jan Sand
I cannot confirm, but I have heard that "egg" was originally "negg".
Jan Sand
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[nq:1]I cannot confirm, but I have heard that "egg" was originally "negg".[/nq]
I don't think this is true, but 'adder' was, along the same principles, 'nadder'. 'A nadder' was reanalysed as 'an adder', hence the modern word.
Sebastian.
I don't think this is true, but 'adder' was, along the same principles, 'nadder'. 'A nadder' was reanalysed as 'an adder', hence the modern word.
Sebastian.
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"R H Draney" (Email Removed)
How has this word developed "by mistake"? It is one of several American words that I much prefer to the BrE alternative. It is completely unambiguous, meaning that "this product may burst into flames, possibly explosively, if brought near a naked source of heat". Superior to the BrE alternative, "inflammable", which means "this product might inflame if brought nea
How has this word developed "by mistake"? It is one of several American words that I much prefer to the BrE alternative. It is completely unambiguous, meaning that "this product may burst into flames, possibly explosively, if brought near a naked source of heat". Superior to the BrE alternative, "inflammable", which means "this product might inflame if brought nea
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Who was empowered to disallow it, and by what means?
-- John W Hall (Email Removed) Calgary, Alberta, Canada. "Helping People Prosper in the Information Age"
-- John W Hall (Email Removed) Calgary, Alberta, Canada. "Helping People Prosper in the Information Age"
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And orange. And gnat (the other way around).
-- David I say what it occurs to me to say. == The address is valid today, but I change it periodically.
-- David I say what it occurs to me to say. == The address is valid today, but I change it periodically.
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Le 22 Jul 2003 08:12:36 -0700, howard richler a écrit :
I can imagine a non-rhotic Englishman hearing "scoff down" and interpreting it as "scarf down". You seem to be saying something different, namely a mishearing by a rhotic speaker. That makes a lot less sense to me.
You can add "norange" and "napron", both of which have lost their initial "n" by now.
Should we add "brassiere"
I can imagine a non-rhotic Englishman hearing "scoff down" and interpreting it as "scarf down". You seem to be saying something different, namely a mishearing by a rhotic speaker. That makes a lot less sense to me.
You can add "norange" and "napron", both of which have lost their initial "n" by now.
Should we add "brassiere"
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Le Tue, 22 Jul 2003 17:43:03 +0100, richard.chambers7 a écrit :
This mistake was not, I suggest, possible until after the invention of the word "flammable". Before that (quite recent) time, nobody had any doubt about the meanings of "inflammable" and "uninflammable".
-- Peter Moylan
This mistake was not, I suggest, possible until after the invention of the word "flammable". Before that (quite recent) time, nobody had any doubt about the meanings of "inflammable" and "uninflammable".
-- Peter Moylan
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In article , "richard.chambers7" says...
It's also (note response above) a homological word, like "pentasyllabic" and "unhyphenated"...(the jury is still out on "heterological"; they're being shaved by the barber who shaves every man but himself)..
I don't dispute for a moment that "flammable" is less confusing than "inflammable", but the longer and more ambiguous term already existe
It's also (note response above) a homological word, like "pentasyllabic" and "unhyphenated"...(the jury is still out on "heterological"; they're being shaved by the barber who shaves every man but himself)..
I don't dispute for a moment that "flammable" is less confusing than "inflammable", but the longer and more ambiguous term already existe
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Some Americans are non-rhotic, and in the past a lot more were (proportionately) (about 1/3 in 1930, about 1/4 or fewer today). Many AmE non-rhotic speakers, today and yesterday, merge "cot" and "cart", or distinguish them only by vowel length. So I can see such American speakers hearing RP "scoff" and maybe confusing it with "scarf".
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