Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

 About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) » Words with unusual etymologies » expatiate
Register User    Forum List        Calendar     Active Topics     Search     FAQ
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
#116107 - 11/17/03 10:53 AM expatiate
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
It occurred to me to look up its etymology:
expatiate

SYLLABICATION: ex·pa·ti·ate
PRONUNCIATION: k-spsh-t
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: ex·pa·ti·at·ed, ex·pa·ti·at·ing, ex·pa·ti·ates
1. To speak or write at length: expatiated on the subject until everyone was bored. 2. To wander freely.
ETYMOLOGY: Latin expatir, expatit- : ex-, ex- + spatir, to spread (from spatium, space).
OTHER FORMS: ex·pati·ation —NOUN

An now I can guess etymology of "spatula", and "spatulate" (as in "spatulate fingertips".


Top
#116108 - 11/18/03 12:08 AM Re: expatiate
Bingley Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/09/00
Posts: 3065
Loc: Jakarta
I was somewhat taken aback by the pronunciation your source gives for expatiate. I'm not even sure such a feat of articulation is possible while sober.

Bingley
_________________________
Bingley

Top
#116109 - 11/18/03 06:25 AM Re: expatiate
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13667
such a feat of articulation

Kspsht? Simplicity itself. Just start off with your tongue in the K position, pull it from the back of the mouth into the S hiss, whang the lips shut into the P, re-open with the tongue slipped back into the SH position and then finish off closing the sound off in the T position. Nothing to it.

Attually®, I think it's a copy and paste art(i,e)fact involving characters not printable in AWAD fonts. Which is not to say that I can't pronounce kspsht.


Top
#116110 - 11/18/03 10:14 AM Re: expatiate
dxb Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/06/02
Posts: 1692
Loc: UK
Which is not to say that I can't pronounce kspsht.

Kspsht....DÉFENSE DE CRACHER ICI.

Gosh, gift horse, all this French is contagious...or should that be infectious...what *is the word that describes the mechanism for passing on a state of being via the internet? If it's a net then it's like fishing or trawling, so I suppose 'catching' is good enough.


Top
#116111 - 12/08/03 12:47 PM Re: expatiate
Capfka Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 06/28/02
Posts: 1624
Loc: Utter Placebo, Planet Reebok
Yeah, dixbie, but he didn't claim that he could say it sober!


Top
#116112 - 01/28/04 12:43 PM Re: expatiate
ElizaD Offline
stranger

Registered: 01/27/04
Posts: 11
Loc: North East England
You sure about the meaning of the Latin word? Lewis & Short (Latin dic) says the meaning of ex(s)patior is to wander from the course, spread out, extend, digress.


Top
#116113 - 01/28/04 01:33 PM Re: expatiate
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13667
Hi, Lilibet. Fancy meeting you here. I'd say Dr Bill (wwh) has a tendency to copy and paste and not pick up vowels with macrons or other extraordinary characters (see the discussion about the pronunciation of kspsht above) but I see that the o in exspatior isn't long.


Top
#116114 - 01/28/04 01:49 PM Re: expatiate
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Dear Faldage: please don't fault me with the vagaries of
Internet software. If you knows where there's a better 'ole,
tell me where to find it.


Top
#116115 - 01/28/04 02:05 PM Re: expatiate
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13667
I ain' faulting you, Dr Bill, jus only splaining a ninnocent young lady.


Top
#116116 - 01/28/04 02:16 PM Re: expatiate
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Der Quibblemeister is never at fault. Just ask him.


Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >


Moderator:  Jackie 
Forum Stats
8453 Members
16 Forums
13691 Topics
210115 Posts

Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members
zhangzhen, dene13, MariaAnastasia, MNPrasad, Krysto4
8453 Registered Users
Who's Online
1 registered (jenny jenny), 19 Guests and 1 Spider online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
LukeJavan8 98
endymion6 71
wofahulicodoc 71
jenny jenny 69
teepee 23
Rhubarb Commando 16
Faldage 14
tsuwm 9
anddrewlee 6
Jackie 4
June
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
Board Rules · Mark all read
Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top

Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 2013 Wordsmith