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  1. #16
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    Default Egregious

    On the BBC's "My Word" radio program on Sunday, the lady devised the meaning of "egregious" from its latin root "grex" = flock.

    I thought that was a neat derivation ... and also detected a bit of a story.

    I had heard it in the context of an "egregious mistake" ... which is a nice step away from "out from the flock" ... but ...

    the meaning has changed over time.

    egregious - Wiktionary


    Adjective

    egregious (comparative more egregious, superlative most egregious)

    1. Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.
      The student has made egregious errors on the examination.
       [quotations ▼]
    2. Outrageously bad.

    [edit]Usage notes

    The negative meaning arose in the late 16th century, probably originating in sarcasm. Before that, it meant outstanding in a good way. Webster also gives “distinguished” as an archaic form, and notes that its present form often has an unpleasant connotation (e.g., "an egregious error"). It generally precedes such epithets as “rogue,” “rascal,” "ass," “blunderer” – but may also be used for a compliment, or even on its own: “Sir, you are egregious.”

  2. #17
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    Thumbs up

    My wife is Brasillian and I often pick up on words that come from the latin and are much the same in English as in Portuguese.

    Haven't checked the origins of vagabond But in Portuguese it seems to be a good insult for some person we would call a bludger.

  3. #18
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by artme View Post
    My wife is Brasillian and I often pick up on words that come from the latin and are much the same in English as in Portuguese.

    Haven't checked the origins of vagabond But in Portuguese it seems to be a good insult for some person we would call a bludger.
    The origins in Portuguese would indeed be the same as in English, given that it is a cognate Indo-European language, and both derive much from Latin (and, interestingly, Sanskrit).
    'Vagus' mean 'wandering' in Latin - the vagus nerve (CN X) is a cranial nerve that 'wanders' its way down to the abdomen ([extremely unfunny] joke while we were studying: if a tutor asks the autonomic innervation of something you can't recall, just say 'vagus' and you'll probably get it right)
    The 'bond' bit is a gerundive suffix (from 'bundus'), i.e. a word derived from a verb but acting as a noun.

    Thus 'vagabond' is 'someone who wanders'
    i.e. a bum or bludger!

    Who knew? Five years of Latin at secondary school (high school, for you Antipodeans) and a medical education help with linguistics!
    I thought it was so useless at the time...
    Last edited by Needles; 6th February 2013 at 10:13 AM. Reason: Rather appropriately for the thread, misspelt a word!
    50 characters? What use is a signature of 50 char-

  4. #19
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    Default

    Also on topic, the word that always strikes me as having changed meaning most in a relatively short space of time is 'gay'.
    Only forty or fifty years ago your parents would have been extremely happy to hear that you were gay, I hear now that one might think long and hard before making such a statement...!
    It makes other words seem somewhat incongruous - what does a 'nosegay' do now?? The mind boggles...
    50 characters? What use is a signature of 50 char-

  5. #20
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    Default

    Yes, The Gay 90s has a very different meaning when referring to 1890s or 1990s.
    Regards
    Hugh

    Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.

  6. #21
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    Thumbs up

    Thanks Needles!!

    Also pertinent for vagrants!!!

    I actually checked that out AFTER I had posted.

    Have to work out how to do two things at once on the 'puter and save some time.

  7. #22
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by A Duke View Post
    Yes, The Gay 90s has a very different meaning when referring to 1890s or 1990s.
    Regards
    Also ... not just the words, but the 'acceptable' ... hmmm, maybe 'common' ... usage changes too.

    Cf: 'The Odd Angry Shot', 'Don's Party', 'Naked Vicar Show' for "queer" etc.

    Maybe 'gay' came into usage because it was the least offensive alternative. (?)

    Cheers,
    Paul

  8. #23
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    Default The Joy of S..pelling





  9. #24
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    Thumbs up

    A wonderful post my friend!! Thank you for posting!!

    I often have arguments with people about why we don't have phonetic spelling
    in English as in other languages such as Portuguese, which is very phonetic in
    it's spelling.

    Those videos answer the point beautifully. Another good example is sign, signal,
    insignia.

    Some words, ghost and knight for example were originally pronounced pretty much
    the way they are spelled, ( or spelt if you like ). Remember in "Monty Python and the
    Quest Fr the Holy Grail" how the Frenchman berated the the English K-nig-hts?

  10. #25
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    Default

    OK ... I've heard St. Roy say "queue d'aronde" ... french for dovetail ...

    but only just now the penny drops. Queue. Tail. Duh ... as in "a line to see a movie" ... "a tail" ... neat.

    but then I come across queue translation English | French dictionary | Reverso ...

    - "avoir la queue entre les jambes" - have your tail between your legs = have the tail enter the legs.


    - "finir en queue de poisson" - end abruptly = finish in a fish-tail?!

    - "rond comme une queue de pelle" - drunk as a skunk = round as the tail/handle of a shovel ?!?!

    - "histoire sans queue ni tête" - cock and bull story = story without a head or tail !!

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by artme View Post
    A wonderful post my friend!! Thank you for posting!!

    I often have arguments with people about why we don't have phonetic spelling
    in English as in other languages such as Portuguese, which is very phonetic in
    it's spelling.

    Those videos answer the point beautifully. Another good example is sign, signal,
    insignia.

    Some words, ghost and knight for example were originally pronounced pretty much
    the way they are spelled, ( or spelt if you like ). Remember in "Monty Python and the
    Quest Fr the Holy Grail" how the Frenchman berated the the English K-nig-hts?
    Arthur

    George Bernard Shaw gave phonetic spelling a pretty good go without success in pome-land. He had a little more luck with the Americans where they were already struggling with English spelling .

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  12. #27
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    Default

    I have a tweogan about all this!
    regards
    Nick
    veni, vidi,
    tornavi
    Without wood it's just ...

  13. #28
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker View Post
    I have a tweogan about all this!
    Had to look it up. Nice. tweogan: doubt | AlphabetSatchel's Blog
    Do you pronounce it 'twigan' ?
    The link gives Old English tweon=two ... I'm guessing that is pronounced "twin" ... --> twins

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker View Post
    I have a tweogan about all this!
    . I would have had to look that up too if Paul hadn't supplied a link

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  15. #30
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    Default

    "To tell you the truth"
    Has that been changed to inflict that the person is usually telling lies?
    Every day is better than yesterday

    Cheers
    SAISAY

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