Re: CHAT: Rumpelstiltskin (was Re: milimpulaktasin)

> From: "Roger Mills" <romilly@...>
> > >Of course, "beautiful" and "ugly" connote very different value
> > >judgements--at least in our culture.  Perhaps in Milimpulaktasin culture,
> > >any sort of deviation from ordinary plain looks (whether towards the
> > >beautiful end or the ugly end of the spectrum) is equally praised or
> > >ridiculed.  An amusing idea, if implausible.
> > >
> > A rare phenomenon, though not unattested.  English "cleave" 1. split 2.
> > cling to (arch.) is at least one ex.
>
> I think I've seen them called 'contronyms'.
>
> Another is 'fast' [1. quickly in motion, 2. solidly stationary]
> ...and 'sanction' [1. permit, 2. forbid]
> ...and 'bolt'     [1. fasten, 2. run away quickly]
> ...and 'dust'     [1. to remove dust, 2. to cover in dust]
> ...and 'bad'      [1. not good, 2. good (80's slang...)]
>
I like the "endorse" joke told by Jasper Carrot, where he was driving
across America and got stopped by a highway patrolman. The patrolman
was very impressed when he saw Jasper's driving licence because it had
been "endorsed three times".

Getting your driving licence endorsed in Britain is not a good idea,
if you want to keep driving.

> ISTR also that IE roots meaning 'give' occasionally got reflected as 'take' in
> daughter languages--Watkins lists *ghabh- > Eng. 'give', Irish <gaibid> 'takes'
> and *nem- > Ger. <nehmen> 'take', Gk. <nemein> 'distribute', as well as
> nonstandard English usage of 'loan'..
>
>      *Muke!
>
Rik

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