Re: Kiss (was: Many Words for One Concept (was: Interesting Words))

--- In conlang@y..., SuomenkieliMaa <suomenkieli@Y...> wrote:

> Ooo, I like that!  Eight types of kissing?!  Anyone
> willing to take a guess at some names for kissing in
> English?  Don't the Brits say snooking or something?
Surely there are many metaphorical words on the topic in English, but
most of them just mean "kiss" and don't differentiate between types
of kisses.


> Then you got the French kiss, and a peck kiss... well
> only 3 and I'm finished!!
These seem to be just about the only type distinctions that English
makes.  French, the alleged language of love, is even worse: AFAIK
it only distinguishes "baiser" (non-romantic kiss) from "embrasser"
(romantic kiss), the latter of which also comprises the meaning
"embrace"!  Isn't that pathetic?  =P


> Let me try my inventing hand at it in Vyääh...
Nice list, though maybe a bit technical.  ;-)  I hope you don't mind
my plagiarizing your format for my (non-comprehensive) list of
Obrenje words.


-- Reference --

lowze  --  lip
-tsu  --  diminutive suffix
-vam  --  productive verb ending derived from povam "to give"
malme  --  tongue
ula  --  romantic Love
nawam  --  to revel in, savor, enjoy
toboq  --  gopher


-- Kissing --

luzme: To kiss (generic).
lussem: To give a single kiss to s.o.
lutsuvam: To give a quick little kiss (peck).
luzovam: To kiss s.o. ceremonially (e.g. as a token of intimate
     friendship, or at a wedding).
gumam: To kiss as a lover (generic).
luzgumam: To kiss as a lover (lips only).
malmam: To kiss passionately but nonintrusively.  Also means "to lick"
     in a wider sense.
ulangom: To kiss passionately and intrusively (French).
mwangom: To kiss (a lover) in a slow, prolongued and relishing
     fashion (Dang!  Why is there no good English word for
     "geniesserisch"?)
toboqam: To kiss by repeated application of small kisses. (This sounds
     about as romantic as a badly translated kitchen appliance user's
     manual...) Also means "to nibble" in a wider sense.

These are single words only... the list could be continued with various
colorful metaphors and idiomatic expressions.  Needless to say, the
Antelopes consider kissing an art form.  ;-)


-- Christian Thalmann


PS:  I first posted this message to the Yahoo!Group rather than the
official Conlang list.  Apologies to those who get it twice.

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