Re : Re: Different words for one thing

Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 18/10/99 17:55:23  , Matt a =E9crit :

[Irina a =E9crit :]
> >gul    - bottom, lowest part of the inside of something
>  >gulsen - the actual physical bottom
>  >
>  >This last one is tricky: the meanings don't seem to be that
>  >different, but _gulsen_ is only used when you're talking of the
>  >actual surface down there, not the place where it is. For instance,
>  >when a bucket goes down a well, it is _gulie_ (at the bottom, all the
>  >way down) and when a person climbs into the (hopefully dry) well to
>  >retrieve a lost necklace he is _gulsien_.
> =20
>  Tokana makes a distinction that's a *bit* like this:  _lom_ means
>  "bottom" in the sense of the underside of something, while _luma_
>  means bottom of an interior space, such as the floor of a room
>  or cave, the inside bottom of a box, the bed of a stream, or the
>  bottom of the ocean.
japanese does too :

ura =3D "other face behind"
soko =3D bottom (of sea, botle, bag)

and i don't feel there is any link between the two of them...
except when i speak english.
so what makes english and Tokana unique to me is their common derivation
between 2 very different items. ;-)

mathias