Inspired by the decimate thread

I searched google for words that have changed meaning

I found quite a few

Is there a word for words that have changed meaning?

http://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/words-that-used-to-mean-something-totally-different#.myBnaxPXm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/words-literally-changed-meaning-through-2173079

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/words-that-have-changed-meaning_n_4847343.html?ir=Australia

http://mentalfloss.com/article/54770/15-words-dont-mean-what-they-used

Lists of words that have changed meaning

http://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/words-that-used-to-mean-something-totally-different#.myBnaxPXm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/words-literally-changed-meaning-through-2173079

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/words-that-have-changed-meaning_n_4847343.html?ir=Australia

http://mentalfloss.com/article/54770/15-words-dont-mean-what-they-used

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength

wookiemeister said:

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

Ministries of Love, Truth, Peace and Plenty.

> Nice: This word used to mean “silly, foolish, simple.”

Well, they’ve got that wrong, it used to mean “subtle, clever”.

• Well, they’ve got that wrong, it used to mean “subtle, clever”.

I’m pretty sure they got “silly” wrong too…

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=nice

Futtocks seems to be holding strong.

indulge

> 4. Brave = showy or gaudy.

Nope. Brave = person who is too young to be a warrior.

Was criticism and discrimination mentioned?

Criticism = evaluation
Discrimination = finding a difference

Physics = collection of doctors
Philosophy = love of knowledge

Minuscule.

idiot

mollwollfumble said:

Physics = collection of doctors
Philosophy = love of knowledge

sophy must be related to sophists/ sophisticated

sophisticated must be another of those words

mollwollfumble said:

Physics = collection of doctors
Philosophy = love of knowledge

sophy must be related to sophists/ sophisticated

sophisticated must be another of those words

I wonder if word will become “wird” in the future given its proximity to “I” on the keyboard ?

holiday forum

holy day. forum

both words whose meaning has changed

I keep thinking of more examples. Then forgetting them.

Travesty used to mean transvestite.
Computer, derivative, integral, marginal, elements, digital, record, etc.

mollwollfumble said:

I keep thinking of more examples. Then forgetting them.

Travesty used to mean transvestite.
Computer, derivative, integral, marginal, elements, digital, record, etc.

gay

No one mentioned “toilet”?

It used to mean dressing, make up etc.
That’s what ladies would say when they mean they were going to take a piss or whatever. “ I’me just going to attend to my toilet”

It’s changed it’s meaning so quickly in the past couple of decades going from toilet, bathroom, to restroom all because people can’t say
“I’m going for a piss “ :)

mollwollfumble said:

I keep thinking of more examples. Then forgetting them.

Travesty used to mean transvestite.
Computer, derivative, integral, marginal, elements, digital, record, etc.

a computer in the old days used to be a lady that used to sit down and calculate

There are tens of thousands of these but I don’t have time for that this morning, so here are ten.

Awful: worthy of respect and fear

Bully: sweetheart

Buxom: compliant, obedient

Clue: a ball of yarn

Cute: clever

Facetious: witty, elegant, fine, courteous

Girl: a child of either sex

Pretty: astute

Sad: satisfied

Terrific: frightening

pommiejohn said:

No one mentioned “toilet”?

It used to mean dressing, make up etc.
That’s what ladies would say when they mean they were going to take a piss or whatever. “ I’me just going to attend to my toilet”

It’s changed it’s meaning so quickly in the past couple of decades going from toilet, bathroom, to restroom all because people can’t say
“I’m going for a piss “ :)

i remember some yank asking me where the rest room was

i had no idea what he was asking me

wookiemeister used to mean anything that was awesome but now means legendary

You reached far back for those

wookiemeister said:

wookiemeister used to mean anything that was awesome but now means legendary

Isn’t it the masculine form of crazy cat lady ?

Cymek said:

wookiemeister said:

wookiemeister used to mean anything that was awesome but now means legendary

Isn’t it the masculine form of crazy cat lady ?

if by crazy cat lady you mean chuck norris , yes

wookiemeister said:

i remember some yank asking me where the rest room was

i had no idea what he was asking me

You ‘pretended’ ignorance because you wanted the ward all to yourself right?

wookiemeister said:

Cymek said:

wookiemeister said:

wookiemeister used to mean anything that was awesome but now means legendary

Isn’t it the masculine form of crazy cat lady ?

if by crazy cat lady you mean chuck norris , yes

“Garn”, don’t know what it used to mean but it now means “Garn and get fucked”

Postpocelipse said:

wookiemeister said:

i remember some yank asking me where the rest room was

i had no idea what he was asking me

You ‘pretended’ ignorance because you wanted the ward all to yourself right?

no i realised he meant toilet and told him the way

he then thanked me and told me i was wookiemeister

pommiejohn said:

No one mentioned “toilet”?

It used to mean dressing, make up etc.
That’s what ladies would say when they mean they were going to take a piss or whatever. “ I’me just going to attend to my toilet”

It’s changed it’s meaning so quickly in the past couple of decades going from toilet, bathroom, to restroom all because people can’t say
“I’m going for a piss “ :)

Around here you go to the toilet or the loo. We must just be country bumpkins.

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

i go for a snakes.

Arts said:

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

Yeah! why do you have to announce if you are going for a shit, a piss , a wank or I vont to be alone

Terrorism = rule by terror, originally the French revolution
Communist = someone who lives on a commune

The modern word ecoterrorist has two exactly opposite meanings.

mollwollfumble said:

Terrorism = rule by terror, originally the French revolution
Communist = someone who lives on a commune

The modern word ecoterrorist has two exactly opposite meanings.

islamofacist

you can eventually twist the meaning of words

eg

unicornfacist

babyfacist

puppyfacist

kitten facist

Arts said:

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

Well, you don’t, really. We don’t generally make a big announcement. But often someone will impolitely say “Where are you going then?!” So we tell them.

feminazi

Arts said:

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

In early childhood services you have to announce that you are leaving the room and where you are going. It’s taken me years to stop making the announcement: “I’m going to the loo” when out at restaurants.

kii said:

Arts said:

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

In early childhood services you have to announce that you are leaving the room and where you are going. It’s taken me years to stop making the announcement: “I’m going to the loo” when out at restaurants.

(Shrugs) seems reasonable to tell people where you are going.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

I keep thinking of more examples. Then forgetting them.

Travesty used to mean transvestite.
Computer, derivative, integral, marginal, elements, digital, record, etc.

gay

Sings

Girls and Boys come out to play, happy and gay the Laxetts way

dv said:

kii said:

Arts said:

I don’t see why we need to announce where we are going at all. We can’t just excuse ourselves?

In early childhood services you have to announce that you are leaving the room and where you are going. It’s taken me years to stop making the announcement: “I’m going to the loo” when out at restaurants.

(Shrugs) seems reasonable to tell people where you are going.

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

mollwollfumble said:

I keep thinking of more examples. Then forgetting them.

Travesty used to mean transvestite.

That’s incorrect. Travesty and transvestite have some etymology in common but travesty never meant transvestite.

Arts said:

dv said:

kii said:

In early childhood services you have to announce that you are leaving the room and where you are going. It’s taken me years to stop making the announcement: “I’m going to the loo” when out at restaurants.

(Shrugs) seems reasonable to tell people where you are going.

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

Why? Just say you’re going to the dunny.

Arts said:

dv said:

kii said:

In early childhood services you have to announce that you are leaving the room and where you are going. It’s taken me years to stop making the announcement: “I’m going to the loo” when out at restaurants.

(Shrugs) seems reasonable to tell people where you are going.

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

I don’t say anything nowadays…I disappear.

dv said:

Arts said:

dv said:

(Shrugs) seems reasonable to tell people where you are going.

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

Why? Just say you’re going to the dunny.

Same thing. Just one is less invasive to the others thoughts.

mollwollfumble said:

> Nice: This word used to mean “silly, foolish, simple.”

Well, they’ve got that wrong, it used to mean “subtle, clever”.

I thought it meant precise.

Arts said:

dv said:

Arts said:

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

Why? Just say you’re going to the dunny.

Same thing. Just one is less invasive to the others thoughts.

It could also be an utter relief to everyone, because you’ve been sitting there farting for 30 minutes.

dv said:

There are tens of thousands of these but I don’t have time for that this morning, so here are ten.

Awful: worthy of respect and fear

Bully: sweetheart

Buxom: compliant, obedient

Clue: a ball of yarn

Cute: clever

Facetious: witty, elegant, fine, courteous

Girl: a child of either sex

Pretty: astute

Sad: satisfied

Terrific: frightening

Your pretty list was not terrific. In fact it was awful, but it did not leave me sad.

Of course I expect nothing less, because I know you have been cute and facetious since you were a girl.

More recent changes than those from DV’s youth would be interesting.

Gay is probably a recent adaptation.

How long does it take for a word to really change meaning though?

Many years ago Steve told me that I can’t use the words forensic science together. Since forensic had its base in science (or something). Yet my course is littered with the words forensic science. But Steve was always a bit more old school.

Arts said:

More recent changes than those from DV’s youth would be interesting.

Gay is probably a recent adaptation.

How long does it take for a word to really change meaning though?

I don’t know, but I should think that the Internet has decimated the time required.

Arts said:

dv said:

Arts said:

Why? Just say excuse me il be back in a minute.

Why? Just say you’re going to the dunny.

Same thing. Just one is less invasive to the others thoughts.

This is quite invasive to one’s thoughts :/

I’ve been hanging out on the BN Booksellers fb page and people are discussing why customer foul up the bathrooms. Don’t look if you are easily offended by poop.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Arts said:

More recent changes than those from DV’s youth would be interesting.

Gay is probably a recent adaptation.

How long does it take for a word to really change meaning though?

I don’t know, but I should think that the Internet has decimated the time required.

Certainly trends trend faster now.

The word viral is changing in meaning.

Arts said:

Many years ago Steve told me that I can’t use the words forensic science together. Since forensic had its base in science (or something). Yet my course is littered with the words forensic science. But Steve was always a bit more old school.

he didn’t mention that seaweed gave fish its taste …did he?

:P

Arts said:

Certainly trends trend faster now.

Except when they are trendy.

stumpy_seahorse said:

Arts said:

Many years ago Steve told me that I can’t use the words forensic science together. Since forensic had its base in science (or something). Yet my course is littered with the words forensic science. But Steve was always a bit more old school.

he didn’t mention that seaweed gave fish its taste …did he?

:P

Ha. Maybe he listened to the same marine biologist.

Furds wail me.

Arts said:

Many years ago Steve told me that I can’t use the words forensic science together. Since forensic had its base in science (or something). Yet my course is littered with the words forensic science. But Steve was always a bit more old school.

Nah , forensic means “ of the courts” ( from Roman forum ). So you have to ( in Steve’s book ) use the term “forensic scientist” rather than just “forensics officer” which is what people tend to use today.

I seem to remember him objecting to phrases like “forensic evidence” since all evidence presented in court is technically forensic.

Bubblecar said:

I seem to remember him objecting to phrases like “forensic evidence” since all evidence presented in court is technically forensic.

Yep, that was Steve :)

The Rev Dodgson said:

Arts said:

More recent changes than those from DV’s youth would be interesting.

Gay is probably a recent adaptation.

How long does it take for a word to really change meaning though?

I don’t know, but I should think that the Internet has decimated the time required.

“Decimated” means to reduce by 10%, is this what you mean?

pommiejohn said:

Bubblecar said:

I seem to remember him objecting to phrases like “forensic evidence” since all evidence presented in court is technically forensic.

Yep, that was Steve :)

Indeed

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

Humpty Dumpty wants to know. Grunt him an answer.

Goan to the shops on foot, seeyers latter

Steve was wring about some things, eg he repeated the rumour that Osama used to be known as Usama in English until the CIA changed it to sound less like USA.

I think his point about forensic is fair, though. That remains the formal meaning. On the other hand if someone in a lay context says “forensics” when they mean “forensic science” then there’s little value in complaining.

bob(from black rock) said:

Goan to the shops on foot, seeyers latter

Well proly on two foots,

Arts said:

Many years ago Steve told me that I can’t use the words forensic science together. Since forensic had its base in science (or something). Yet my course is littered with the words forensic science. But Steve was always a bit more old school.

I think you misunderstood what he was objecting to.

dv said:

Steve was wring about some things, eg he repeated the rumour that Osama used to be known as Usama in English until the CIA changed it to sound less like USA.

I think his point about forensic is fair, though. That remains the formal meaning. On the other hand if someone in a lay context says “forensics” when they mean “forensic science” then there’s little value in complaining.

Forensic science was the term he objected to… Not forensics or forensic evidence. I remember it well, it was a lesson for me

Definition of forensic
Popularity: Top 30% of words

relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

Merrimack Webster def.

Arts said:

dv said:

Steve was wring about some things, eg he repeated the rumour that Osama used to be known as Usama in English until the CIA changed it to sound less like USA.

I think his point about forensic is fair, though. That remains the formal meaning. On the other hand if someone in a lay context says “forensics” when they mean “forensic science” then there’s little value in complaining.

Forensic science was the term he objected to… Not forensics or forensic evidence. I remember it well, it was a lesson for me

Okay well if you remember faithfully then he was just plain.wrong. Forensic science is a phrase that is formally correct and makes perfect sense both as a whole and in terms of it constituent words.

The American Legal Dictionary gives the following:

“ Forensic Science:

The application of scientific knowledge and methodology to legal problems and criminal investigations.”

There are also Forensic Accountants as well.

jjjust moi said:

There are also Forensic Accountants as well.

Yes. Forensic scientists, forensic accountants, forensic linguists, forensic psychologists… anything related to the courts and legal cases is “forensic”. The woollen wig worn by judges is a “forensic wig”.

Arts said:

Definition of forensic
Popularity: Top 30% of words

relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

Merrimack Webster def.

This was his beef with the term ‘forensic science’. Since the deifinfition already held the term use of scientific knowledge, saying science was redundant.

Anyway, the lesson was to always question.

Arts said:

p

This was his beef with the term ‘forensic science’. Since the deifinfition already held the term use of scientific knowledge, saying science was redundant.

Then he was definitely wrong. Forensic means “related to the courts of law”. There is no redundancy in “forensic science”: each word contributes distinct meaning to the phrase.

Arts said:

Arts said:

Definition of forensic
Popularity: Top 30% of words

relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

Merrimack Webster def.

This was his beef with the term ‘forensic science’. Since the deifinfition already held the term use of scientific knowledge, saying science was redundant.

Anyway, the lesson was to always question.

>>deifinfition

WTF happened there?!?

stumpy_seahorse said:

Arts said:

Arts said:

Definition of forensic
Popularity: Top 30% of words

relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

Merrimack Webster def.

This was his beef with the term ‘forensic science’. Since the deifinfition already held the term use of scientific knowledge, saying science was redundant.

Anyway, the lesson was to always question.

>>deifinfition

WTF happened there?!?

“iPad” I expect.

OCDC said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

Arts said:

This was his beef with the term ‘forensic science’. Since the deifinfition already held the term use of scientific knowledge, saying science was redundant.

Anyway, the lesson was to always question.

>>deifinfition

WTF happened there?!?

“iPad” I expect.

Or aphasia

wookiemeister said:

pommiejohn said:

No one mentioned “toilet”?

It used to mean dressing, make up etc.
That’s what ladies would say when they mean they were going to take a piss or whatever. “ I’me just going to attend to my toilet”

It’s changed it’s meaning so quickly in the past couple of decades going from toilet, bathroom, to restroom all because people can’t say
“I’m going for a piss “ :)

i remember some yank asking me where the rest room was

i had no idea what he was asking me

There are those who call it going to the bathroom. Which I suppose is OK if you are by doing your toilet are washing yourself. Sans a bidet though, basically you are fouling yourself.

dv said:

Steve was wring about some things, eg he repeated the rumour that Osama used to be known as Usama in English until the CIA changed it to sound less like USA.

I think his point about forensic is fair, though. That remains the formal meaning. On the other hand if someone in a lay context says “forensics” when they mean “forensic science” then there’s little value in complaining.

usama bin laden

made inn usa

wookiemeister said:

dv said:

Steve was wring about some things, eg he repeated the rumour that Osama used to be known as Usama in English until the CIA changed it to sound less like USA.

I think his point about forensic is fair, though. That remains the formal meaning. On the other hand if someone in a lay context says “forensics” when they mean “forensic science” then there’s little value in complaining.

usama bin laden

made inn usa

don’t ask about the “l”

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

mollwollfumble said:

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

Possibly before words there was gestures which would be useful in a hunt where silence was required. Hunting chimpanzees seem to be able to coordinate actions without language.

And a simple glance seems to convey a lot of information to some primates.

mollwollfumble said:

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

The first sentence has nothing to do with the second.

A better formulation would be:

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages arose over 50000 years ago such that we have no evidence about their specific forms.

AwesomeO said:

mollwollfumble said:

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

Possibly before words there was gestures which would be useful in a hunt where silence was required. Hunting chimpanzees seem to be able to coordinate actions without language.

And a simple glance seems to convey a lot of information to some primates.

They have a language of sorts – different sounds have different meanings, and recording then playing back the sounds makes them behave appropriately (eg the sound for potential attack makes them all commence evasive manoeuvres).

mollwollfumble said:

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

For example, in an aboriginal language of southern Queensland, nouns possess number, gender and case.
Wan = a crow, wangali = a couple of crows, wanburala = several or many crows.
There are separate words for a man, men, a woman, a boy, a girl, a child of either sex, and for gender of animals.
The cases of nouns include nominative, causative, genitive, dative, ablative, instrumental and accusative.
Then there are equally complex grammatical rules for adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adverbs, exclamations.

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

For example, in an aboriginal language of southern Queensland, nouns possess number, gender and case.
Wan = a crow, wangali = a couple of crows, wanburala = several or many crows.
There are separate words for a man, men, a woman, a boy, a girl, a child of either sex, and for gender of animals.
The cases of nouns include nominative, causative, genitive, dative, ablative, instrumental and accusative.
Then there are equally complex grammatical rules for adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adverbs, exclamations.

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

Quite probably those languages are completely unrelated.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

transition said:

Humpty Dumpty wants to know if the meanings of words are out there and really exist that way, or does the individual applying whatever (a grunt) have a idea/concept first and then reach into the toolbox of words and apply the word, or do words first exist, from them are made word-concepts, and magically you got words and sentenced and thoughts.

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

For example, in an aboriginal language of southern Queensland, nouns possess number, gender and case.
Wan = a crow, wangali = a couple of crows, wanburala = several or many crows.
There are separate words for a man, men, a woman, a boy, a girl, a child of either sex, and for gender of animals.
The cases of nouns include nominative, causative, genitive, dative, ablative, instrumental and accusative.
Then there are equally complex grammatical rules for adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adverbs, exclamations.

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

as also in Wagga, a crow. Wagga Wagga, place of many crows

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

There was a great TV series about this, as it applied to the English language.

But let’s go further back than that, there is no such thing as a currently existing (or historically known) “primitive” language in the sense of consisting of grunts or whatever without grammar and syntax. It’s almost as if the first languages were deliberately invented.

For example, in an aboriginal language of southern Queensland, nouns possess number, gender and case.
Wan = a crow, wangali = a couple of crows, wanburala = several or many crows.
There are separate words for a man, men, a woman, a boy, a girl, a child of either sex, and for gender of animals.
The cases of nouns include nominative, causative, genitive, dative, ablative, instrumental and accusative.
Then there are equally complex grammatical rules for adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adverbs, exclamations.

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

as also in Wagga, a crow. Wagga Wagga, place of many crows

plenty of towns in the west of SA have names meaning ‘waterhole’ in the local aboriginal dialect

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

For example, in an aboriginal language of southern Queensland, nouns possess number, gender and case.
Wan = a crow, wangali = a couple of crows, wanburala = several or many crows.
There are separate words for a man, men, a woman, a boy, a girl, a child of either sex, and for gender of animals.
The cases of nouns include nominative, causative, genitive, dative, ablative, instrumental and accusative.
Then there are equally complex grammatical rules for adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adverbs, exclamations.

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

as also in Wagga, a crow. Wagga Wagga, place of many crows

plenty of towns in the west of SA have names meaning ‘waterhole’ in the local aboriginal dialect

up?

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

as also in Wagga, a crow. Wagga Wagga, place of many crows

plenty of towns in the west of SA have names meaning ‘waterhole’ in the local aboriginal dialect

up?

that’s WA and nothing to do with water.

I’m talking of towns like Nunjikompita and Mudamuckla

Mudamuckla, that’s a good name.

“-up” means “place of”. noongar.

The Zippel family of Mudamuckla, 1948.

Bubblecar said:

Mudamuckla, that’s a good name.

cousins owned a cereal farm out there I used to help out on in my holidays.
Nice place

Bubblecar said:

Mudamuckla, that’s a good name.

Sounds tacky.

Bubblecar said:

The Zippel family of Mudamuckla, 1948.

They were our neighbours, then their son’s was the first oyster farm I worked on 35km down the road at Smoky Bay

stumpy_seahorse said:

Bubblecar said:

Mudamuckla, that’s a good name.

cousins owned a cereal farm out there I used to help out on in my holidays.
Nice place

So many places to visit before I cark it.

Bubblecar said:

The Zippel family of Mudamuckla, 1948.

!http://thethomsons.aussieland.net/zippel/zippel%20family%2014-10-1948%20at%20mudamuckla.jpg

They look a suspicious lot

I was interesting to me that I read of a wiradjiri word, yoogali a place of celebration. Sitting in the village of Yoogali is the ill famed Yoogali club. A place where many celebrations are held.

roughbarked said:

I was interesting to me that I read of a wiradjiri word, yoogali a place of celebration. Sitting in the village of Yoogali is the ill famed Yoogali club. A place where many celebrations are held.

Why ill-famed?

mollwollfumble said:

When you think that such a language has been out of contact with European languages for more than 40,000 years, the similarities are startling. The concepts had to exist before the words themselves.

Although there would have been no direct contact with European languages there would have been plenty of contact with Pacific and Asian languages throughout the history of humans in Australia.

How much do we know about Tasmanian aboriginal languages? Presumably there would have been little if any contact with other languages there for about 10,000 years.