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Re: (In)flammable (WAS: Early Conlang Archives)

From:Padraic Brown <pbrown@...>
Date:Thursday, March 11, 1999, 16:25
On Thu, 11 Mar 1999, FFlores wrote:

> > The inflammable=fammable issue is one of those curious > "contradictions" of the English language that I've heard of. > The other one is "burn down" = (more or less) "burn up" (I > know they have different connotations, but the meaning is > actually the same!)
Hm. I'm not sure the meanings are really the same. To me, "burn down" means to destroy (usually a structure) by combustion; while the latter, "burn up" means to completely destroy anything by combustion. I can burn down a house, but not a book; I can burn up a book but not, generally speaking, a house because the fire dept. gets to the scene too soon. :)
> > As for the "flammable" thing, in Spanish we say "inflamable"; > I've never heard "ininflamable". Probably "no inflamable" would > do, but in some cases you hear "incombustible" or even "igni'fugo". > But "incombustible" has other connotations: it means "that won't > burn" in a figurative sense; in Spanish "quemarse" [(get) burn(ed)] > means "to get caught in a dishonest practice", so you might > hear "un poli'tico incombustible" (an incombustible politician) > for some recurring characters in local politics who keep winning > elections or getting offices even after several scandals...
I like that one. Seems we all have our share of incombustible politicians. Padraic.
> I don't think you can say pajamas are "incombustibles" or > "igni'fugos" in Spanish -- you make it sound as if you were talking > about paint or wallpaper. > > > --Pablo Flores > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > A study of economics usually reveals that the > best time to buy anything is last year. > Marty Allen >