Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

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

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
"onward, onward, swords against the foe" (I'll get it, yet)
Back in college, in glee club we sang a song about the
Burgundians. It will come eventually. I can hear the music in my head, but the words have to find a way thru all the blockage.
Germany had (or has, I guess) some very beautiful provinces, once duchies,principalities and the like, now states. Central
European History is rife with these themes which made for operas like Siegfried, etc.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3


This thread's title: French Place names.
The Platte River; Platte is French for Flat. The jokes about the
river: "mile wide and and inch deep", and "too thin to plow, too
thick to drink".


----please, draw me a sheep----
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
How do you always manage to find these old threads? I want however to object to (if you don't mind) this: 'platte is French for flat'.
French for flat is plat . In this form : "platte" it really only exists in Dutch and Flemish. It is how we write the adjective from the adverb plat. That is why it struck me as odd when you mentioned it some time ago. What does 'platte' do in the Midwest?

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
French for flat is plat.

But the feminine of the adjective is plate and rivière 'river' is feminine, no? I think an extra t got slapped on so that folks wouldn't pronounce it plate /plejt/. According to the Wikipedia article, the Oto called it 'flat river', too (link).


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Totally convincing; nice article and pictures too. French to the bottom of it.
Ever tripped on a pallid sturgeon Javanluke? pallid sturgeon

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Originally Posted By: BranShea
Ever tripped on a pallid sturgeon Javanluke? pallid sturgeon


don't know about LJ8, but I caught one of these in the Missouri just a few counties north of where the Platte empties: spoonbill!


formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Nooh! What a creature! I always think I've seen the strangest things but there never is an end to it. close up hmm..

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
yup, and that's a little one (mine wasn't much bigger, only 36" long). I was hoping to have it taxidermied (I didn't dare say stuffed and mounted around here...), but as a skin fish, it's a difficult job, and quite expensive. ah well. memories.

did you see this one? big

Last edited by etaoin; 03/21/09 09:10 PM. Reason: added link to big paddlefish

formerly known as etaoin...
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Originally Posted By: BranShea
How do you always manage to find these old threads? I want however to object to (if you don't mind) this: 'platte is French for flat'.
French for flat is plat . In this form : "platte" it really only exists in Dutch and Flemish. It is how we write the adjective from the adverb plat. That is why it struck me as odd when you mentioned it some time ago. What does 'platte' do in the Midwest?


Beats me! And I'm not familiar with Dutch nor Flemish.
But the history book used to teach the state history mentions it that way. Probably because la riviere
is feminine, making the adjective feminine: La riviere platte. (?) The flat river.

Finding old threads? Ah retirement, 'tis great.
Is there still a Count of Flanders? I know both the Netherlands,Belgium, and Luxembourg are monarchies???


----please, draw me a sheep----
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937
Likes: 3
Originally Posted By: zmjezhd
French for flat is plat.

But the feminine of the adjective is plate and rivière 'river' is feminine, no? I think an extra t got slapped on so that folks wouldn't pronounce it plate /plejt/. According to the Wikipedia article, the Oto called it 'flat river', too (link).


thanks zm: I answered before reading your posting.


----please, draw me a sheep----
Page 2 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,677
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 197 guests, and 5 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,772
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,937
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
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

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5