I don't want to look stupid, but irregardless I want to know

A discussion of word histories and origins.
malachai
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Postby malachai » Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:13 pm

I'd bet that the people who say "unthaw" are aware of the meaning of "thaw". They must have some reason for saying "unthaw" instead. My explanation may not be the right one, but there's an explanation somewhere.

I've been listening to my friend saying "unthaw" for years and never once thought anything of it.

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:50 pm

I'd bet that the people who say "unthaw" are aware of the meaning of "thaw". <snip>
I've been listening to my friend saying "unthaw" for years and never once thought anything of it.
do I want to answer this?

nope

mark descretion-is-the-better-part-of-valor; taking a page from-PW Bailey

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Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:57 pm

But I dunno, Agoran sounds a bit StarTreky.
Let's not make it so.
I dunno, I've always liked Agoran and never connected it with Star Trek. Agorite sounds too Biblical to me.
how 'bout parAgoric?
Is that anything like paralegal or paramedic?
. . .
Would that parAgoric could cure diarrhea of the keyboard . . .
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

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Re: IRREGARDLESS

Postby Stargzer » Sun Aug 13, 2006 5:02 pm

. . . just as I accept that ketchup is a vegetable.
-gailr :D
Gail has obviously never had children who eat french fries with their ketchup . . .
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

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gailr
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Postby gailr » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:45 pm

I dunno, I've always liked Agoran and never connected it with Star Trek. Agorite sounds too Biblical to me.
Agorite sounds like it should be on the periodic table of elements [Ag] but where? Position determined by boiling point? Date of discovery? Is Agorite a transitional metal (both ductile and malleable, conducting electricity and heat) or a noble gas (inert until the 1960's, now identified as stable)?

-gailr

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:20 pm

I dunno, I've always liked Agoran and never connected it with Star Trek. Agorite sounds too Biblical to me.
Agorite sounds like it should be on the periodic table of elements [Ag] but where? Position determined by boiling point? Date of discovery? Is Agorite a transitional metal (both ductile and malleable, conducting electricity and heat) or a noble gas (inert until the 1960's, now identified as stable)?

-gailr
Ooh! A girl who speaks the language of my youth! Maybe we can get together someday and discuss the merits of methyl magnesium Grignards over a flask of diethyl ether.

Unfortunately, Ag is already taken as a symbol. Might I suggest "Aa" for "Alpha [Agorga -- Oops.] Agora?" Perhaps it's place in the Periodic Table will be discovered to be in Group 3 of the yet-to-be found Period 8, where it would be truly "heavy," and might be termed a "rare bird" rather than a "rare earth."
Last edited by Stargzer on Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

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Un-redundancy???

Postby eberntson » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:49 am

I don't think redundancy is always a positive & a negative case, we have to may examples of that.

However, I wonder why "un" is so often used, could it be perhaps, theorizing off the top of my pointy-head, that it is a built in corruption or confusion in English that we have inherited from the Norman French. I have observed that "un croissant, svp" Just a thought, perhaps it is a subconscious part of the language like accents & dialects... I'm just trying to say that perhaps it is similar to dialect or habits, and it makes words sound better more very much hugely empathically more important, or perhaps it is just taking the place of ... uuummmm... well just.... umm... give me time for an interject a tone?!?

Perhaps children just hear it as a part of speech and insert it into their own language, dad says " I took the steak out of the freezer to... umm... thaw it.", but junior rears it as "blah, blah, steak, blah <parent speak>... unthaw it."

I have never been accused of not say "to much" thank you for the complement; I will think of you the next time some one tells me to stop extemporizing.
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Postby Bailey » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:26 am

Unfortunately, Ag is already taken as a symbol. Might I suggest "Aa" for "Alpha Agorga?" Perhaps it's place in the
Aha! you've got it we'll be Agorgans, how's that?

mark just-looking-for-a-name Bailey

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malachai
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Re: Un-redundancy???

Postby malachai » Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:32 pm

Just a thought, perhaps it is a subconscious part of the language like accents & dialects... I'm just trying to say that perhaps it is similar to dialect or habits, and it makes words sound better more very much hugely empathically more important, or perhaps it is just taking the place of ... uuummmm... well just.... umm... give me time for an interject a tone?!?
That's a good point eberntson. I think most of language is unconscious. Articulation, syntax, meanings are all unconsciously acquired and used.

I don't think "un" is from Norman French; the meaning is too different. I think your idea of it making the word emphatic or important is closer to an explanation.
I don't think redundancy is always a positive & a negative case, we have to may examples of that.
On the other hand, I don't know what you mean by this. :)

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Postby gailr » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:12 pm

Unfortunately, Ag is already taken as a symbol. Might I suggest "Aa" for "Alpha Agorga?" Perhaps it's place in the
Aha! you've got it we'll be Agorgans, how's that?

mark just-looking-for-a-name Bailey
So, Stargzer, you don't think Ag will share its place with the silver-tongued devils here? :D

A'-gor-gan, a-GOR'-gan; how you planning to pronunciate this, Bailey? Novel effort, but it sounds kind of Star Trekky, too, I think...

-gailr

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Postby Stargzer » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:33 pm

Unfortunately, Ag is already taken as a symbol. Might I suggest "Aa" for "Alpha Agorga?" Perhaps it's place in the
Aha! you've got it we'll be Agorgans, how's that?

mark just-looking-for-a-name Bailey
No, no snakes for hair for the Agoran women.
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:45 pm

No, no snakes for hair for the Agoran women.
ok I guess it's not particularily flattering, but hey I got up at oh-dark-thirty and got only a few hours of sleep so I'm not on top of my game. I dunno though, dreads on all Agorgans might be cool.

mark needs-a-nap Bailey

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gailr
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Postby gailr » Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:04 am

I dunno though, dreads on all Agorgans might be cool.
I say we Dreadnought, it goes against cannon, sir.

-gailr
who thinks that sounds more standard than "dasn't dread".

Bailey
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Postby Bailey » Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:08 am

I dunno though, dreads on all Agorgans might be cool.
I say we Dreadnought, it goes against cannon, sir.

-gailr
who thinks that sounds more standard than "dasn't dread".
you'd look cute though, dreads under your fancy headress. as long as they're not battleship grey/gray.

mark deathwish Bailey

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Palewriter
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Postby Palewriter » Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:45 am

Grey can be so...um...distinguished, though.

Jeez...do you think "um" might be have some meaning, linguistically speaking? I say it all the time. I do, really.

um...--PW
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What a ride!"


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