Re: CHAT: Japanese English (was Re: Correction, I hope, of M/C URL)

CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU writes:
>A scythe? What a beautiful word! It's pronounced /sait/? /saiT/?
Hmm i think it would be /saiD/. I´m not too sure if it really is a scythe
because I think a scythe is short handled, and the grim reaper (death)
carries around something similar with a long handle (which i thought had a
different name, but I may be correct). But, both perform the same
function, to cut back weeds or grain plants for harvest. And of course
death reaps souls for harvest :).
>
>
>In French, Scythe is the name of a people, 'les Scythes', they lived
>soemwhere in Greece IIRC. Is this the same in English? Is there any
>connection?
The etymology according to my dictionary is: (ME sith, OE si(g)the;  c.
Icel sigth; spelling by pseudo-etymological assoc. with L scindere to cut.
cf scissors). I think by coincidence the words scythe and Scythia look
related.


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