"The Legos of language" - Wordsmith.org

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » General Topics » Weekly Themes » "The Legos of language"

Page 2 of 4

Topic Options

#188923 - 01/25/10 11:10 AM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: PiedType]
Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/24/02 Posts: 7184 Loc: Vermont	from whence poly = selling? I thought poly was "many"? _________________________ formerly known as etaoin...
Top

#188924 - 01/25/10 11:28 AM Re: polypoly [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3269 Loc: R'lyeh	from whence poly = selling? I thought poly was "many"? Greek distinguishes between long and short vowels. Greek πωλη (pōlē) 'sale', πωλέω (pōleō) 'to exchange, sell' (link) and πολύς (polus) 'many' (link). The -y in the English words comes from the Greek -ια (-ia). _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Top

#188925 - 01/25/10 11:48 AM Re: polypoly [Re: zmjezhd]
kah454 journeyman Registered: 09/22/09 Posts: 95 Loc: Long Island, NY USA	Taking a que from a Boy Scout Merit Bagde, how about... THEOORIENTEERING... for finding or discovering the pathway to God? The compass being scripture.
Top

#188927 - 01/25/10 12:11 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: Faldage]
AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 6511 Loc: lower upstate New York	Originally Posted By: Faldage Meanwhile I came up with theodactyl to describe the focal point of Michelangelo's Creation fo Adam. Love this.
Top

#188928 - 01/25/10 12:33 PM Re: polypoly [Re: zmjezhd]
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3269 Loc: R'lyeh	I was curious about what cognates for the Greek πωλη (pōlē) 'sale' existed in other Indo-European languages. Ther are a few: an older German word, feil, Old Norse falr 'venal, for sale', Russian полон (polon) 'captivity; booty', Lithuanian pelnas 'earnings', from PIE *pel- 'to sell; to earn'. _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Top

#188932 - 01/25/10 01:55 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: PiedType]
lou63629 stranger Registered: 01/25/10 Posts: 1	Wonderful topic! Here's something I've wondered about for years, help me out. A "lego" word for the process whereby reality/god/the cosmos/ whatever it is appears to answer questions in the exact vernacular in which they were posed. Kepler mentions this in his writings, but doesn't coin a word for it. He calls it something like "God speaks to us in the language we can understand." Examples are why/how so many diverse "religions" (or inquiries) seem to "work" : voodoo, Shakerism, Shamanism,the I Ching, reading cowrie shells, Platonism, reading bird's entrails, etc., etc. Why/how so many cosmologies seem to be the only reasonable answer. And so on. Can anyone come up with a word for what "God/Nature/Guidance/Whatever" is doing? LOU
Top

#188934 - 01/25/10 02:13 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: lou63629]
LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/08 Posts: 5291 Loc: Land of the Flat Water	Keeping us guessing??? _________________________ ----please, draw me a sheep----
Top

#188938 - 01/25/10 03:37 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: lou63629]
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 5249 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	Hagiography or hagiographics : the holy writings of nature / life.
Top

#188940 - 01/25/10 04:19 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: lou63629]
kah454 journeyman Registered: 09/22/09 Posts: 95 Loc: Long Island, NY USA	How about theolatrigony? the origin of God worship?
Top

#188944 - 01/25/10 08:05 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: zmjezhd]
Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/24/02 Posts: 7184 Loc: Vermont	Originally Posted By: zmjezhd from whence poly = selling? I thought poly was "many"? Greek distinguishes between long and short vowels. Greek πωλη (pōlē) 'sale', πωλέω (pōleō) 'to exchange, sell' (link) and πολύς (polus) 'many' (link). The -y in the English words comes from the Greek -ια (-ia). okey doke. thanks. so, thee ah puh lee and thee ah poh lee? _________________________ formerly known as etaoin...
Top

Page 2 of 4

Moderator: Jackie

Forum Stats

8428 Members
16 Forums
13687 Topics
209801 Posts

Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM

Newest Members


	Wordsmith Talk		About Us \| What's New \| Search \| Site Map \| Contact Us

Wordsmith Talk