English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

12:24 AM

@Mitch “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 7:2–3

Robusto

12:51 AM

@Robusto: It seems to me like there are two related but distinct questions involving this: how did words spelled with "u" like "Duke" come to be pronounced with /juː/, and how did words with "ou" like "coupon" come to be pronounced with /juː/ by at least some speakers. This question only covers the first group. What do you think about editing your question so it only covers the latter? Then neither would be a duplicate. — sumelic 19 mins ago

I'm not sure why I should edit my question at all, since I asked it first. What else should "duplicate" mean?

tchrist

1:05 AM

I wonder how Noah was expected to divide his sevens up by male and female.

Robusto

One male, six female. Duh.

tchrist

Gives a whole new meaning to sexagesimal.

Dyuplicate.

tchrist

1:58 AM

1

A: etymology of predation and predating?

The word predation comes from the Latin prædatio meaning "taking of booty" which comes from præda meaning "booty". This is to say the word "predation" does not have the prefix præ- meaning "before". Only predating comes from the Latin præ- meaning "before".

Next up for legalization: auntie-dating.

He said booty.

@Cerberus Next up for questionization: president and precedent. There can't be any connexion between praeda/praedae and prex/precis either, but it might be amusing to misconstrue some. :)

If Bill Clinton was prex, will his wife be pregina?

Cerberus

2:32 AM

Actually, praeda comes from prae-hendo (fun fact: -hendo is related to -gin in begin), so both words contain the prefix prae-. — Cerberus 1 min ago

@tchrist Not sure what you are getting at...

tchrist

@Cerberus I'm mildly febrile and blathering. Earache.

I had wondered whether bootie and prezzies were related, but like no. :)

Cerberus

Oh, dear.

Mildly, so the earache isn't serious?

Prex is related to fragen.

Hence unrelated to prae.

tchrist

Well, it hurts. Sinus infection on one side and complete wax blockage on the other, which leads to pain, and backing up into the middle or inner ear enough to cause dizziness from semicircular canals.

Had no idea both ears were sealed off with wax totally. Doc says clear the infection pharmaceutically then come back and he'll clean out the wax plugs mechanically.

I don't know why he didn't clean out the wax today, except perhaps that it might hurt due to the infection and won't once that's gone.

Predatory things are privative ones: they take something away.

I doubt the Romans analysed praeda as having prae-anything anymore, despite anterior praehendo.

Cerberus

2:52 AM

@tchrist Hmm okay, so it will heal eventually.

Or pass, rather.

@tchrist It's hard to say.

tchrist

I went in because it's in the good ear.

No flying for me.

Cerberus

Were you planning to?

tchrist

Just going up to like 11.5 kf and down again (too quickly) yesterday hurt a lot

Cerberus

I imagine.

tchrist

@Cerberus Not especially, just a little.

I was concerned with the dizzy bit, but turns out to be not anything I'd feared, merely physical pressure on balance mechanism.

Earache pain is weird.

Wiki says it was always preces never just prex. I wonder why.

> The nominative singular, prex, and genitive singular, precis, are unattested in Classical Latin.

From Mozart's Requiem: Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus.

Cerberus

3:12 AM

There isn't really a why to pluralia tantum.

Or at least not that I know.

Why is it scissors and panties?

tchrist

Two blades, two bloomers.

Cerberus

Apparently, the Romans felt that one never utters a single plea under certain circumstances.

tchrist

Probably not

Cerberus

Elsewhere, the singular is used.

tchrist

Pleas for divine succour.

Cerberus

3:16 AM

In the accusative and ablative, the singular does occur.

tchrist

Odd.

Cerberus

Just as odd as similar "tantums" in English.

tchrist

No, odder because of the case aspect.

Cerberus

(Tantum is an adverb here, so that it may not be pluralised.)

Why do cases make anything odder?

tchrist

I know it's pluralia tantum.

Cerberus

3:18 AM

In English, I'm sure there is a word that only occurs in the singular after a preposition, or something.

tchrist

That the singular should have been found only in certain cases (a/a) but not others (n/g).

Cerberus

Or some other ridiculous, arbitrary restraint.

tchrist

@Cerberus In specie. :)

Cerberus

Heh.

But I believe specie also occurs without a preposition...?

tchrist

Not sure. Meaning coin/money?

Cerberus

3:20 AM

Yes.

> specie (n.)
"coin, money in the form of coins, metallic money as a medium of exchange" (as opposed to paper money or bullion), 1670s, from phrase in specie "in the real or actual form" (1550s), from Latin in specie "in kind" (in Medieval Latin, "in coin"), from ablative of species "kind, form, sort" (see species).

And bullion, like boil, is from Latin bulla "bubble".

But it is my bed time.

tchrist

Same. Past thinking.

Good night. Bouillebasse.

Cerberus

Right!

Isn't it bouillabaisse?

> The French and English form bouillabaisse comes from the Provençal Occitan word bolhabaissa, a compound that consists of the two verbs bolhir (to boil) and abaissar (to reduce heat, i.e., simmer).

Yay, I was right.

Adieu!

tchrist

Typo.

I heard it right in my head.

buillir is defective. Later though.

Justyna Nogala

7:53 AM

Which verb is when used in a court? more frequently? I guess this a testimony recorded by a court recorder.

""The witness says/testifies/states that when collecting firewood she noticed people exhuming graves of the Jews buried in Pietrasze. She asked them what they were doing. They answered that they were looking for gold. The witness claims she saw them collecting golden teeth and shoes. Later they covered the bodies with dirt.
The witness says/testifies/states that golden teeth and shoes were later sold on the market or exchanged for butter, white fat and other products."

Justyna Nogala

8:42 AM

Does a phrase "to ask sb to do sth" also mean "to order sb to do sth", "to make sb do sth", "to command" and "to tell sb to do sth" instead of making a request ?

Robusto

11:28 AM

@Cerberus One of my favorite dishes. Saffron makes it extra special.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…