Re: CHAT: Synesthesia and conlanging (was Re: The ConlangInstinct)

Lars Henrik Mathiesen wrote:
>
> > Date:         Wed, 8 Dec 1999 12:23:08 +0100
> > From: "Grandsire, C.A." <grandsir@...>
>
> > French has no verb corresponding to "liaison"
>
> Lier?
>
        I thought of this one, but it means more 'to bind' or 'to link' and its
corresponding noun is rather "lien": 'link'. In language, it would
probably be synonym to 'to conjoin' with conjunctions or others. Not
exactly the meaning of "liaison"...

        Of course, "liaison" is certainly cognate with "lier", but the link (ah
ah!) is not that obvious. For instance, a "lien" between people means
that there is a connection between them, either affective or due to work
or something, whereas a "liaison" means specifically an affair. In other
cases, those two words are nearly synonyms. For instance, when you find
a connection between two events or things you're researching about, you
can say that you 'found a link' ("trouver un lien") or 'made the
connection' ("faire la liaison") between them.

        Now that I think of it, there would be a lot to talk about "lien" and
"liaison". But one thing is certain, it's that "lier" is the verbal
equivalent of "lien", but not of "liaison". The only possibility is to
use an expression: "faire la liaison". A little long, that's why I liked
the verb 'to liais(e?)'

> Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)
--
        Christophe Grandsire

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