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

At 9:57 am -0500 23/3/00, John Cowan wrote:
>Barry Garcia wrote:
>>
>> 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).
>
>Nope, the scythe ([sAiD] is correct) is long-handled.  The short-handled
>implement with the curved blade is a sickle.
Exactly so - I've used both instruments in my time   :)

Using a sickle is back-breaking work; but the scythe with its long wooden
'handle' (I'm sure there's a technical term for it, but it eludes me) is
much easier.  Actually its handles [sic] are short; they are attached to
the 'long wooden bit' and if you get the balance & rhythm right, it's quite
easy to use.

[....]
>I'm curious about the etymology of "faux" in this sense.
From Latin - falx, falcis = sickle, scythe, pruning hook.

>BTW, "Scyth" [sIT] is the people and "Scythia" [siTija] the nation.
I've also heard ['sIDi@] and ['sIDi@n] (Scythian) as well as ['sITi@n].

Ray.


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A mind which thinks at its own expense
will always interfere with language.
                   [J.G. Hamann 1760]
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