Published on 12, July, 2020
Words fascinate me, I love them and I know so many and can even spell a few of them! I find different words give so much more texture and depth to what we say. I find the origins of words as interesting as the words themselves and the different uses for the same word although it can all get confusing when you have to work out which witch to use and weather/whether it will make a difference to waht you're saying.
Is English the only language to have so many similar words or words that change with context?
I also have a theory that that dialect words and accents follow the boundaries of the old Anglo-Saxon countries, if you look at a map of the original kingdoms pre Alfred the Great, then the variety of accents beccome more apparent. Of course i some areas such as the North East you have to factor in a large amount of Scandinavian words and accents too and along the borders of Wales.
Do you have favourite words and least favourite? I do't like the word "genre" mostly because it's hard to stop saying it and it ends up with a few extra "re-s" takcked on the end as you run out of breath whilst saying it.
I also gecome faascinated with "F" and "Ph", such as fantastic and phantasmagorical
I made up the word 'doggery' recently.
Cattery - doggery.
Much more sensible than 'kennels'.
Doggery, thats a word that deserves a place in the English language!
I made up the term "becatted" to describe the temporary inability to get up and the need for someone else to fetch me something, because my lap is being graced with a sleeping cat.
Brilliant! My brother has words for roadkill which make it more funny and less upsetting - Squadger, Squog, Squat, Squeagull. You get the point. It's so funny when you put Squ in front of your first and second name which I obviously couldn't do on here but if I was to be run over, my name here would become Squee Squirit. Heeee heee heee.
TheCatWoman
There are some words in Scots that come from the French language because of the close relationship the two countries had for many years. Some examples are:
Sybies/syboes (spring onion) from ciboule
Ashet (large plate or platter) from assiette
Aumry (cupboard) from armoir.
Also historically 'gardy loo!' (watch out I'm throwing the contents of the bedpan out the window onto the street) from 'gardez l'eau'.
Some of our words also have roots in old Norse, for example
Kirk (church)
Kist (chest or box)
Bairn (child)
Skelf (splinter)
Greet (cry)
Midden (dump)
Muckle (big)
Flit (to move house)
Ken (know)
Keek (peek)