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One of my favorite word formations in any language, this Swahili word (which may sometime be spelled a bit differently, such as kipalafuti) means a rotary, also known as a roundabout or a traffic circle, and probably by a few other names in the English-speaking world.
Any who guess this word's etymology win unlimited private messaging rights, and a haha as well.
Hyla
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Don't know, or simply not interested?
A couple of hints:
It's similar to many Japanese words, which take English words and add vowels here and there.
It stems from English influence in East Africa, when they drove sinister.
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enthusiast
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It's similar to many Japanese words, which take English words and add vowels here and there.
It stems from English influence in East Africa, when they drove sinister.In that case, I would say it's come from the Swahilization of "keep left" (keep-a-lahf(u)t-i ?). Should I be correct, would it be improper of me to decline the sunk fence? I would accept a laugh, though. 
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Well, that'll teach me to be stingier with my hints among this crowd of logophiles.  Twenty minutes from hint to answer! Nicely done. Despite your protestations, the sunk fence is up - you just can't see it. 
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>...the sunk fence is up...
Now I'm really disorient(at)ed!
Marty
Down Under
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>...the sunk fence is up...I noticed this in some horror as I hit send, but felt that I had committed myself, and should let the assembled forum-ers have at it. On an unrelated note, just stumbled across this site, which has a fun little random word feature. My favorite so far: epispastic. http://www.celerity.co.uk/words/
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Fun site, Hyla! It gave me: AvulsionA ripping off or forcible separation, as of a part of the body by injury.Now I know what my dentist has been practising – avulsion therapy, which judging by the bill is certainly a rip-off
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I thought you did it on purpose.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Checked out the site and came across ephemeral
This is a seldom used word? not in my croud-- don't know when we started using it but it been in use for a while.
Favorite use: when speaking to any one you think is just trying to placate you with empty promises--
"Verbal promises are ephemeral-- I want your commitment in writing!"
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ephemeral
An elegant, related, word is ephemeridae, which I have used to good effect talking about yard/garden matters.
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