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Re: CHAT: The [+foreign] attribute

From:Padraic Brown <elemtilas@...>
Date:Tuesday, September 17, 2002, 20:55
--- Christophe Grandsire
<christophe.grandsire@...> wrote:

> > (Which is a strange expression: until the > > telephone, there was no > > other kind! Similar cases: "analog watch", "snow > > skiing", "postal mail".) > > LOL, strange that it's the original version that > receives a specialised name, > rather than the offspring.
In my experience, the above are v. rare: I've heard of "snow skiing", but I'd never call it that; I'd call it "skiing". I'd only use "analog watch" (vs. "digital watch") if I'm discussing watches with someone and we've got a mixed lot of watches to keep separate. I don't even know what "postal mail" means. I'd guess some kind of internal mail system in the Post Office? A kind of intraoffice mail, maybe.
> In French it's the > contrary: "montre" is normally > understood as an analog watch. "Montre digitale" is > the other kind (or we can
Yes. That sounds more familliar.
> use the expressions "montre à aiguille" and "montre > à chiffres", but then both > kinds are separately named, and those names are used > only to prevent > confusion). "Ski" is always understood to be on > snow.
Yes.
> French people seem rather to keep names for original > things and give new names > to specialised offsprings, something that I > personally find rather logical. > Surprising that English is different in that > respect...
Just goes to show that English is not monolithic. Or whatever. There's more than one way shave a wombat style of thing.
> Christophe.
Padraic. ===== beuyont alch geont la ciay la cina mangeiont alch geont y faues la lima; pe' ne m' molestyont que faciont doazque y facyont in rima. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com

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Jake X <alwaysawake247@...>Context Reference (was Re: The [+foreign] attribute)