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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Is there a connection between the French "méchant" and the English "mechanic," esp. "mechanicals" as in "tradesmen?"
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quote:
Is there a connection between the French "méchant" and the English "mechanic," esp. "mechanicals" as in "tradesmen?"
I woudl have thought the connexion was obvious - the way tradesmen charge is VERY naughty.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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when I was in engineering school (lo these many years ago), it was generally agreed that I had a mechanical* approaching zero, asymptotically speaking.
*aptitude, that is
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I don't think so.
Mechanic derives from the Old French mecanique which derives from the Latin mechanicus and the Greek mekhanikos, which derives from the Greek mekhane (machine, device) which somehow descended from the Indo-European magh- (which meant Volkswagen parts).
Méchant (evil, wicked, mean, insufficient or spiteful) derives from the Old French meschéante (unlucky). The Dictionnaire de L'Académie française (1835) is useful on usage but useless on etymology.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Thanks, FS. btw, do you know if there is a good French etymological dictionary?
Interesting usage, tswum -- and surprising (specific) application!
Does the board offer a way to print topics, or individual posts directly, anyone?
Last edited by inselpeter; 11/06/05 02:15 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quote:
Does the board offer a way to print topics, or individual posts directly, anyone?
there's a Print Topic button down near the bottom left of the page.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Thanks again, FS. The Académie dictionary is also online, if I understand rightly, but I haven't tried to figure it out, yet.
Thanks, eta,
It could be just me, or maybe it's me, but while often find the button to print a post, I can almost never find the button to print a whole thread.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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So it is, but it's the 8th edition.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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"mechanicals" as in "tradesmen?" What do you mean? I don't think I've ever heard mechanical used as a noun.
meschéante Oh--miscreant!
mis·cre·ant (mĭs'krē-ənt)
n.
1. An evildoer; a villain.
2. An infidel; a heretic.
[Middle English miscreaunt, heretic, from Old French mescreant, present participle of mescroire, to disbelieve : mes-, wrongly, not; see mis–1 + croire, to believe (from Latin crēdere).]
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