Re: water (was:re:sounds like...)

Matt Pearson wrote:

> Tokana has several words for water.  Water as a substance or element
> is "hum", a word which I'm supremely unhappy with and will have to
> change one of these days.
Why not just heave it overboard?  Tokana chemists, if there ever
are any, can develop their own terms for dihydrogen monoxide.
After all, if Japanese (IIRC) can get along with words for "hot water"
and "cold water" but no word for "water" simpliciter, why can't
Tokana just have "wild water" and "tame water"?

--
John Cowan      http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)