Re: picnic

In a message dated 2000:09:14 5:13:47 PM, morg0072@FLINDERS.EDU.AU writes:

>> > It probably was spelt that way a few centuries ago.
>>
>> According to the dictionary, no. Apparently it was spelled pique-
>> nique in French, has no etymology to speak of, and was adopted into
>> other languages at will.
    Oxford Dictionary says " French _pique-nique_, of unknown origin".
Hmm, I wonder when it came into vogue? If it perhaps came into fashion around
the late 18th or early 19th CE., circa the Romantic period?

    Italian spelling is identical to English (I imagine many languages that
coopted this word use this spelling).
    Spanish preference seems to be for _partida de campo_. Tho' _picnic_ is
also cited as being used (mainly in North America & parts of Mexico, Puerto
Rico, etc.)
    Bislama (& possibly Tok Pisin) use the more Germanic/IPA-influenced
phonemic spelling of _piknik_ (or the more native terminology _kakae blong
openea_)
    An outing or safari/expedition, incidentally, is also called a _piknik_.
"Hem i no piknik..." <It PARTICLE no picnic>  Probably _piknik_ came into
Bislama during WW2... Many of the natives assisted the Allies (mostly
Americans and Anzac forces) against the Japanese. Many were decorated for
heroism (and some - hehe - decorated their longhouses with heads taken ...)

    czHANg