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...)]

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!

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