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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

These are a few of my favorite words...

Let the randomness begin!

So, tell me.  Do you have a favorite word?  Do you have multiple favorite words?  I love words.  (That sounds weird.  But I think being able to express yourself well is a good thing.)

Anyway.  I'm going to share some of my favorite words today.  These words are favorites because of how they sound when you say them, not actually because of their meanings.

Ready?

English
1.  meniscus.  Meniscus has two definitions.  One definition refers to the convex or concave crescent that appears when a liquid is pulled up by a the attraction of charges on a glass (or other container).  The other definition is within the category of anatomy - a cartilage-based tissue within a joint.  The most common one we think of is usually in the knee, but there are others.  I  like the word meniscus because of how it sings up and down when you say it.  Meniscus.  It's kinda bumpy.  And weird.  So, I like it.
2.  vulgate.  This is just a word for the Latin translation of the Bible in the 4th century.  The vulgate.  But it sounds like you're saying vulgar.  And I say vulgar all the time.  "Stop being so vulgar!"  (Peasants!)

Spanish
1.  cacahuete.  It means peanut in English.  I like the bumpiness of this word also.
2.  sacapuntas.  This is a pencil sharpener in English.  If you say it dramatically, it seems like you may possibly be angry or bewildered or possibly making wild declarations in every direction.
(Spanish random: Once when we were in Central America, my hubby told a girl, "Mucho gusto en cocinarte."  I couldn't stop laughing to tell him what was wrong with that.  He thought he was saying conocerte.  Kind. Of. Different.  Upon meeting someone, you say, "Mucho gusto en conocerte."  That's nice to meet you.  He said, "It's nice to cook you."  Yep.  Weird cannibalistic Americans.)

Finnish
1.  mustikkapiirakka.  This is blueberry pie.  I don't love blueberry pie more than other pies, but I love the word mustikkapirakka.  It's like you're eating while you say it.
2.  isoisa (there should be two dots over that last a).  It means grandfather, but isa means father.  The repetitive nature is satisfying.
3.  keskkiviiko.  Wednesday.  Middle of the week.  I like hearing week sound like viiko.

Swedish
1.  fiskaffaren.  It's a fish shop or fish trade place, whatever you call that.  (Also needs two dots over the last a.)
2.  Ah, precis.  This is what my bastis says when she agrees with something or understands something.  It means something like, oh, yeah, right.

Hebrew
1. sle-ha!  Apologies to everyone who speaks Hebrew.  I have no idea if that's how you spell it, or rather, transliterate it, to English.  It means "Excuse me!".  I like it because it sounds like the emotion behind it.  It is the perfect sound for excuse me that I could think of.

Malayalam
1.  uma.  It means kiss.  Your mouth makes a kiss when you say it!  Creative.

Polish
1. moya pani.  It means, I think, little missy or girl or like muchacha in Spanish.  It has a nice little flow to it.

Chinese
1.  chan jin liu (one million apologies, I do not really know pin yin, I just make up my own).  It means giraffe.

Latin
1.  satis bene.  Things are good.  It is satisfying to say satis!  
2.  debitoribus.  It sounds like Debbie's bus, however it means debtors.  It is in the Lord's prayer, of course.
3.  caelum.  It means heaven, but that cae is a "chay" sound.  It sounds like "chay lum".  It made the top 3.

If I had a favorite French word, it may be pomme de terre.  But French makes me so mad that I have purposely avoided learning anything to do with it for my entire life because they just totally WASTE endless needless letters.  What the heck!  You do not need fourteen letters that are not pronounced in every word.  It's too much.  It put me over the edge long ago and I've never returned.  (The only consolation is pronouncing the Impressionists names.  That is kind of fun.)

As for Japanese, I just know how to count to ten and say hello, goodbye, and teacher, and none of those stand out enough for me at this point.

These are a few of my randomest things!

Peace, love and please avoid hitting your meniscus on the vulgate, dear,
Ms. Daisy




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