tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post3762640900209688437..comments2024-02-19T07:51:46.118-05:00Comments on Throw Grammar from the Train: "No word for adultery"Janhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173219179480606941noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-20742131378317811332011-05-23T19:34:17.614-04:002011-05-23T19:34:17.614-04:00I know, John. My tongue was in cheek. I thought ev...I know, John. My tongue was in cheek. I thought every body would know I knew, because Jan had just written about "groom" -- but I now see that that was in her <a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/05/08/here_comes_the_goom/" rel="nofollow">column</a>.Øhttp://voidplay.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-23635321361688534282011-05-16T15:14:50.671-04:002011-05-16T15:14:50.671-04:00The -groom in bridegroom is historically unconnect...The <i>-groom</i> in <i>bridegroom</i> is historically unconnected with the word <i>groom</i> in any of its other senses. It is a modification of <i>?goom</i>, descended from Old English <i>guma</i> 'man' but now obsolete.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-13559734091750050852011-05-11T06:51:05.925-04:002011-05-11T06:51:05.925-04:00The nearest thing that English has to a word for &...The nearest thing that English has to a word for "a man getting married" actually means "a woman getting married, a man who takes care of horses".Øhttp://voidplay.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-81166133199138542152011-05-10T23:50:36.684-04:002011-05-10T23:50:36.684-04:00@T. Roger: Indeed! But the beauty of the blog is t...@T. Roger: Indeed! But the beauty of the blog is that other people will look it up even faster than I could!<br />@ Ø -- I was interested in the historical senses of "mischief" too, so I looked that up after "adultery," and it has had the wink-wink sense ("childish naughtiness") since 1675 and the "charmingly roguish" one since 1761. I know I try to calibrate my sense of the gravity of "mischief" according to the source, but it's been ambiguous -- or versatile, at least -- for quite a while.Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01579983806826643000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-75873726785937980072011-05-10T22:24:38.681-04:002011-05-10T22:24:38.681-04:00Well the Old English word is legalistic and misses...Well the Old English word is legalistic and misses all the drama so clearly the Hawaiian version is the hands-on, gender neutral expression-with-dramaJimbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13891331049535299222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-2493137771163950982011-05-10T19:48:24.542-04:002011-05-10T19:48:24.542-04:00The word "mischief" may connote naughtin...The word "mischief" may connote naughtiness in a wink-wink way, but at one time it seriously meant wrongdoing.Øhttp://voidplay.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-4117870377837337232011-05-10T17:25:03.592-04:002011-05-10T17:25:03.592-04:00Adultery comes from a Latin word meaning "to ...<i>Adultery</i> comes from a Latin word meaning "to corrupt" (<i>ad- + alterare</i>) and has no connection to <i>adult</i>. <br /><br />The Old English word was <i>æwbryce</i>, meaning "law breach", referring to marriage rite.Jonathonhttp://www.arrantpedantry.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-79023293677894195252011-05-10T17:00:16.830-04:002011-05-10T17:00:16.830-04:00Same as adulterate; adultery is corruption of the ...Same as <i>adulterate</i>; adultery is corruption of the marriage relationship by introducing an ingredient seen by the other spouse as improper and undesirable. No connection to <i>adult</i>; the former's Latin root is <i>alterare</i> 'alter', the latter's is <i>alere</i> 'nourish'.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-43017265247060325632011-05-10T16:54:47.477-04:002011-05-10T16:54:47.477-04:00Wikipedia says there is also "philandery"...Wikipedia says there is also "philandery", a word I've always associated with run-around males, but might be assigned to run-around mates in general.<br />Unfortunately, Wikipedia also says some amazingly dumb things, including "adultery is voluntary, while rape is not"! Um, the rapist is acting involuntarily, eh? I don't THINK so.<br />Now, do we believe Wiki when it comes to etymology? Hmm. It says adultery comes from the Latin "adulterat" which means "to pollute" — I like that — but it refers to women who commit adultery, not to men.<br />So, there are two words, then? "Philandering" for a male adulterer and "polluting " for a female?<br />I think "mischievous mating" is a better term than adultery anyway. Good for the Hawaiians!<br />— K<br /><br />Kay, Alberta, Canada<br />An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous TravelKay L. Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09966266404058177742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-76271615504495669752011-05-10T16:22:22.346-04:002011-05-10T16:22:22.346-04:00It appears that good Republicans have no word for ...It appears that good Republicans have no word for adultery, either. See the final graf of this story about Mr. and Mrs. Newt Gingrich: <br /><br />>>"They're a great couple," she said, "that had a nontraditional start."<<<br /><br />Source: http://nyti.ms/iS02FjNancyhttp://nancyfriedman.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-64712183465119800662011-05-10T16:16:06.017-04:002011-05-10T16:16:06.017-04:00This sounds like a job for...
the
Oxford
Engl...This sounds like a job for... <br /><br />the <br /><br />Oxford<br /><br />English<br /><br />Dictionary!!!<br /><br />(Cue the dramatic music and spotlights)T. Roger Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304103509683960962noreply@blogger.com