Re: [romconlang] -able

Mark J. Reed wrote:
> quoting me:
>>  In Norwegian, we don't just call a spade a spade, we even call a
>> shovel a spade. Blunt people, are we?
>
> Nah.  Obfuscatory.   Calling a "shovel" a "spade" is indirect! :)
Øh, høh.

Actually we do have the word 'skuffe' to name an implement solely
intended for shovelling. These are rather lighter and less sturdy
than a spade, with a straight front and raised sides to contain
material.

A snow shovel is called 'snøskuffe' - not unknown around these parts,
they come in a large variety of sizes and shapes. Smaller ones are
often called 'snøspade', though.

We have the skyffel-word too, but it's a false friend of the Swedish
one, often misused in text translated from Swedish. Here it's
normally a small, one-hand shovel, or an angular-sheared garden tool
to cut off the roots of weeds or for harvest use.

I could perhaps bore you as well by mentioning that spade at least in
my dialect is pronounced /spa:@/, that is, there is no d. There is a
toneme 2 tone on the a.

LEF