Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ    Attic   

Re: WHATL calendar for next year (2013)

From:R A Brown <ray@...>
Date:Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 13:08
R A Brown wrote:
[snip]
> But we also have αλεκτοριδεύ (chick) and αλωπεκιδεύ (fox-cub), correctly > derived from ancient forms, but formed with the suffix -ιδεύ (the > 'ancestor' of Esperanto's -id-) which is normally used as a patronymic > (rather like 'mac-' in Gaelic names, or -son in English surnames); it is > rather as though we were to say in English 'Cockson' (or in US English > 'Roosterson') and 'Foxson'!
OOPS!! Another senior moment :( The ancient Greek patronymic suffix was -(ί)δης, _not_ -ιδεύς. Therefore AG ἀλεκτοριδεύς and ἀλωπεκιδεύς are certainly not like "cockson" and "foxson"! Indeed, it would seem, looking carefully, that -ιδεύς did denote 'the young of'. ======================================== Philip Newton wrote: > 2008/12/15 R A Brown <ray@...>: >> In the calendar, we have the suffix -άριο in ζωάριο (little animal[s]), and >> -ίσκο in αιλουρίσκο (kitten) and χηνίσκο (gosling). ζωάριο and χηνίσκο >> derive from actually attested ancient forms; αιλουρίσκο is AFAIK a TAKE >> neologism, but quite reasonably formed. > > Yes, IIRC it's a form I made up. (Also χηνίσκο, strictly speaking; my > dictionary only gave a certain prow shape on a boat as the meaning for > that word, not "gosling".) Yes, on checking again, you're right. It's merely listed in Liddell & Scott as a diminutive of χήν (goose), but the only attested uses of the word are six instances where it denotes the top of a ship's stern-post in the shape of a goose's head and neck, one instance where it refers to an ornament on a bowl, and one where it refers to a part of a machine (presumably because the part resembled the shape of a goose) - but *no* instances where it actually meant a gosling! However, I find that χηνιδεύς (gosling) is actually attested. So, sorry, the TAKE gosling must be χηνιδεύ. >> Now, remembering that Josephos Peanou *there* was somewhat more radical than >> Giuseppe Peano was *here* as regards verb forms, would JP be more radical >> and adopt a more strictly 'auxlangy' attitude to these suffixes in TAKE? >> What I mean is, would he have give: >> -ίο (or possibly) -άριο - diminutive suffix (little) > > If he did go the simplifying route, I wonder whether he would have use > only -ίο or only ΄-ιο, or whether he would have mixed the two > depending on what was actually used in Ancient Greek He would not have mixed the two if he were going along the simplifying route. My own feeling is that he'd probably have settled for -άριον, but I haven't been able to check that out yet ;) [snip] >> If he adopted a strict use of suffixes, would he have retained those nouns >> where the young has a different word from the adult (like, e.g. in English >> we have 'sheep' ~ 'lamb')? I.e. should 'lamb' be αρνό (as given on the >> calendar) or προβατίσκο <-- πρόβατο (sheep). _My_ inclination is to retain >> αρνό - but I'm not JP ;) > > I just had a thought that one might have a doublet αρνό "Lamb" (in a > religious context) ~ προβάτιο/προβατίσκο "lamb" (in a secular > context)... but then I thought that would be plausible in a natlang > but less so in an auxlang, which is what JP was trying to create. Yes - but I'm now fairly certain that with certain domestic animals where there was a separate word for the young, as in the case of 'lamb', JP would retain the separate word; it's only where derivation is used that he might regularize the suffix. I've checked more closely on παιδίσκος/ παιδίσκη (young boy/ young girl) and νεανίσκος/ νεανίσκη (young man/ young lady). They are essentially diminutive as they do convey ideas of endearment (usually) or contempt, e.g. παιδίσκη is found meaning 'whore' as well as 'maiden, lass'! I find no examples, in fact, where ίσκ- specifically denotes 'the young of'. We have seen that TAKE for 'gosling' is in fact χηνιδεύ - likewise I now confidently declare that TAKE for 'kitten' is αιλουριδεύ. I'll check with JP on the others :) -- Ray ================================== http://www.carolandray.plus.com ================================== Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora. [William of Ockham] -- Ray ================================== http://www.carolandray.plus.com ================================== Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora. [William of Ockham]

Reply

Philip Newton <philip.newton@...>