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Carpal Tunnel
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Back on topic, zmjezhd, which of these, in plain English, is your contention:
A) People often seek a single word when sometimes a nominal phrase is necessary. For example, there is no single word for post-traumatic stress disorder.
This is closest to cover part of what I was saying. It is a simple fact of the English language that there are many commonly discussed concepts which are not expressible with a single word. As in your example a compound might need to be used. There is no single word (that I know of) for a red giant variable star. Take the mock serious paraskavedekatriaphobia, please. Why would some prefer this monstrous Greek compound to plain old English fear of Friday the Thirteenth?
B) People often seek words for things instead of just describing them. This is annoying (insert alternative adjective if necessary).
No. If there is a word ask for it or look it up. I am not stating that using periphrasis is necessary. Though referring to one's manager in conversation with a colleague as the pointy-haired boss (or PHB) may be preferable in certain contexts.
C) Other. (Please explain).
Part of what I have noticed over the years is that sometimes somebody seeks the right word for a certain situation (cf. the other recent thread about a suitable translation of the German verb pendeln), and other times they just want a (possibly learnèd) word for a concept covered by a compound or otherwise descriptive phrase. In the latter case, these folks are sometimes annoyed if a single word cannot be found. I wish for neither of these activities to be proscribed.
Now for the tougher interpersonal relationship stuff. There was something obviously annoying (use another adjective if deemed preferable) about my opening this thread. That's fine with me. Over the years, I've noticed that people tend to disagree with one another. As I said, the board's big enough to accommodate us plus a host of others. If you disagree with me, tell me, but leave out the whole "I more enthusiastic about words than thou" attitude. Anybody who has a passing acquaintance with me knows I'm pretty enthusiastic about words and the rest of the language, too. It seems that something about my nonce word, grailling, set you off, and something about your sole proprietorship of word enthusiasm annoyed me, too.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Wow, thanks, guys! I'd been concerned that this could turn into something ugly, but everybody including AnnaStrophic [evil grin e] has been a gentleman: simple statements of facts, no name-calling, judgements, etc. Whew.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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well, what's left for me to do other than post something "too clever".
A) People often seek a single word when sometimes a nominal phrase is necessary. a corollary to this is people often seek an English word for something usually expressed in <foreign language>. an extreme example of this is schadenfreude (much in the news what with the Spitzer affair); we see έπιχαιρεκακία anglicized and offered up as an English equivalent.
B) People often seek words for things instead of just describing them. This is annoying. I think you have to be 'trolling' to take this reading, especially considering the source.
Other..
to whom it may concern:
in eight years of posting in these forums, I've never prepensely dodged a legitimate question as to (my) meaning.
as to snide comments regarding my manner..
not so much.
-joe (tufthunter) friday
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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 ("tufthunter") word of the week to me. (No clue what it means, but.....) it wil do miracles in these regions when someone misbehaves badly.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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A) People often seek a single word when sometimes a nominal phrase is necessary. a corollary to this is people often seek an English word for something usually expressed in <foreign language>. an extreme example of this is schadenfreude (much in the news what with the Spitzer affair); we see έπιχαιρεκακία anglicized and offered up as an English equivalent.
The very word the suckered Nuncle Z into coming to this board. In a related note, the thing that tends to bug me is when someone comes looking for, e.g., a word or phrase, the referent of which is some person who meets some criterion or set of criteria and gets as an answer some traits that might be associated with that person. For example, "What do you call someone who is always complaing about other peoples' use of words?" and rather than getting, say, 'peevologist', they get 'irritating' or 'noble' or whatever adjective the offerer thinks might be one used to describe such a person.[/harrumphation]
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The very word the suckered Nuncle Z into coming to this board.Ah, yes. I remember it as though it were only four years ago ( link). Tsuwm introduced himself with this opening salvo: "what is this, a nest of raving prescriptivists??" ( link) There's a Brideshead Revisited moodiness to reading something you wrote a while ago, like looking at your old college survey-course papers. My attitude towards the e-word has changed. It is a word, though an inelegant one. I don't find it to be an inkhorn term any longer, but more of a dord word. While we're at it, schadenfreude was coined in the 16th century to translate a concept from Seneca: libitinariorum vota 'the prayers of undertakers' ( link). Unius uotum deprehensum est, omnium simile est: An tu Arruntium et Aterium, et ceteros qui captandorum testamentorum artem professi sunt, non putas eadem habere, quae designatores et libitinarios, uota? illi tamen quorum mortes optent, nesciunt: hi familiarissimum quemque, ex quo propter amicitiam rei plurimum est, mori cupiunt; illorum damno nemo uiuit, hos, quisquis differt, exbaurit; optant ergo non tantum, ut accipiant, quod turpi seruitute meruerunt, sed etiam, ut tributo graui liberentur. [Seneca De beneficiis VI. xxxviii. 4. link)] One man's vow was excepted at, where all men's are alike. Thinkest thou that Arruntius and Haterius and all others that professed the art of executorship had not the same vows and wishes, as the masters of funeral ceremonies and they who were ministers in burying the dead? yet know not they whose death they wish: they desire that some one of their nearest familiars should die, in whom for friendship sake they had most hope. No man giveth by the loss of those: whosoever differreth the other undoeth them. They therefore wish, not only that they may receive that which they have deserved by base servitude, but also that they may be freed of a grievous tribute. [Translated by Thomas Lodge 1614, ( link)] The prayer of one man was detected, but it was just like the prayers of all other men. Do you imagine that Arruntius and Haterius, and all other professional legacy-hunters do not put up the same prayers as undertakers and grave-diggers? though the latter know not whose death it is that they wish for, while the former wish for the death of their dearest friends, from whom, on. account of their intimacy, they have most hopes of inheriting a fortune. No one's life does the undertaker any harm, whereas these men starve if their friends are long about dying; they do not, therefore, merely wish for their deaths in order that they may receive what they have earned by a disgraceful servitude, but in order that they may be set free from a heavy tax. [Translated by Aubrey Stewart 1887, ( link)]
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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it seems as though old threads always have something of interest; the one from four years ago, f.e., has a typical wwh post tacked on the end.
-joe (nice touch for the Octennial) friday
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