cwms, crwth, & cwm

Use this forum to suggest Good Words for Professor Beard.
eberntson
Lexiterian
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:48 am
Location: Cambridge, Mass
Contact:

cwms, crwth, & cwm

Postby eberntson » Tue May 22, 2012 12:09 pm

cwms, crwth, & cwm

Yah know that "y" can be used as a consonant or a vowel, but just learned that the Welsh use "w" as a vowel (a "oo" sound). Word that used "w" as a vowel are rare I suppose since I don't think it has ever come up anywhere in my readings.

cwm - (pronounced "koom") is a steep-walled hollow on a hillside. cwm is commonly used in Welsh place names.

crwth - (pronounced "krooth") is a type of stringed instrument.

cwms - of glacial origin are a common feature of Welsh geography.

The question is can I use "cwn" in playing Scrabble? At least I know how to win a bet with a wordnik!
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Philip Hudson
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Postby Philip Hudson » Tue May 22, 2012 2:52 pm

Eberntson, thank you for opening this thread. See also the thread for whiskey. Perhaps someone has something Welsh to contribute. Then we can segue to things Manx.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

eberntson
Lexiterian
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:48 am
Location: Cambridge, Mass
Contact:

Postby eberntson » Tue May 22, 2012 5:23 pm

Yes, I posted this under Whiskey for you.
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Perry Lassiter
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 3333
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:41 pm
Location: RUSTON, LA
Contact:

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue May 22, 2012 9:03 pm

Good to know. I was, however, taught the five vowels ending with "and sometimes y or w." i always assumed the w referred to such unpronounced letters after vowels, e.g. Know or knew - tho if one listens carefully, there is a slight consonantal w wound at the end.
pl

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8039
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Postby Slava » Tue May 22, 2012 9:32 pm

Good to know. I was, however, taught the five vowels ending with "and sometimes y or w." i always assumed the w referred to such unpronounced letters after vowels, e.g. Know or knew - tho if one listens carefully, there is a slight consonantal w wound at the end.
Does this mean you don't consider no/know and knew/gnu to be homonyms?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

eberntson
Lexiterian
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:48 am
Location: Cambridge, Mass
Contact:

Postby eberntson » Wed May 23, 2012 9:50 am

Huh. "W" was never mentioned as a vowel in freshman English. That might have made things easier.
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Perry Lassiter
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 3333
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:41 pm
Location: RUSTON, LA
Contact:

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed May 23, 2012 12:15 pm

Of course they are homonyms. Actually, no and gnu end with the lips moving toward the w sound. Probably most words ending in vowels move toward a consonantal sound. Ah is an exception and ends right there. To me, a long A slides toward a Y. Ax short A may also be open, but if extended slides toward K in back of throat. When I say the long E my tongue wants to end it with a Y. Eh is like ah and a pure sound. Long I wants to go to Y unless I'm doing the southern drawl (ah). Short I is pure. The U in pure begins with PY, but not the sound in poor. There are both individual and regional variations. Try them yourself to see whether you pronounce the same as I or differently.
pl

eberntson
Lexiterian
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:48 am
Location: Cambridge, Mass
Contact:

Postby eberntson » Wed May 23, 2012 3:18 pm

don't for get "Noh" as in Japanese theater. So we now have no, know, gnu, & noh... dare I say it!? The "Noes" have it. Perry, what about "now"? This breaks with "know" and "no" do it not?
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns

Perry Lassiter
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 3333
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:41 pm
Location: RUSTON, LA
Contact:

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed May 23, 2012 4:24 pm

It do indeed. I would rule w in now as a consonant unless you consider it a vowel like OU in our.
pl


Return to “Good Word Suggestions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot] and 41 guests