|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:18 am Post subject: Re: I could care less: language question |
 |
|
| Blockhead confidence wrote: |
| Manner of Speaking wrote: |
| Pinker points out that this is a common phenomenon in language change over time. For example, English people first learned about oranges from the Spanish. The Spanish word for orange is naranja, and in fact 400 to 500 years ago the English word for "orange" was "norange". But over time the word changed because listeners unfamiliar with the word heard the phrase "a norange" and phonologically recoded it to "an orange". Gradually over time, the latter became the accepted usage. |
Apparently, it's just a possibility.
| Online Etymology Dictionay wrote: |
| orange c.1300, from O.Fr. orenge (12c.), from M.L. pomum de orenge, from It. arancia, originally narancia (Venetian naranza), alt. of Arabic naranj, from Pers. narang, from Skt. naranga-s "orange tree," of uncertain origin. Loss of initial n- probably due to confusion with definite article (e.g. une narange, una narancia), but perhaps infl. by Fr. or "gold.".... |
|
I don't understand. You say that MoS's explanation is just a possibility, but then you provide a source that backs up exactly what he said, albeit giving a French example rather than the English one.
Une narange becoming une orange. Try saying them both, and you'll see what I mean. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Rutherford
Joined: 31 Jul 2007
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
Spending most of my time around Korean kindergarteners is taking a toll on my language skills, so I picked up a copy of Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" and just saw the entry about this.
"Care less. "The dismissive "I couldn't care less" is often used with the shortened "not" mistakenly (and mysteriously) omitted: "I could care less." The error destroys the meaning of the sentence and is careless indeed." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
WoBW
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: HBC
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Example from post today on Dave's:
I'm not really worried about whether Koreans are afraid of me on a bus, in fact I could give a crap. But I do worry about this issue as a teacher and for my students who plan to be teachers. It really is a huge obstacle to language learning that can't be ignored.
To me this means "I do actually care somewhat." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Blockhead confidence
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: I could care less: language question |
|
|
| Big_Bird wrote: |
| Online Etymology Dictionay wrote: |
| orange c.1300, from O.Fr. orenge (12c.), from M.L. pomum de orenge, from It. arancia, originally narancia (Venetian naranza), alt. of Arabic naranj, from Pers. narang, from Skt. naranga-s "orange tree," of uncertain origin. Loss of initial n- probably due to confusion with definite article (e.g. une narange, una narancia), but perhaps infl. by Fr. or "gold.".... |
I don't understand. You say that MoS's explanation is just a possibility, but then you provide a source that backs up exactly what he said, albeit giving a French example rather than the English one.
Une narange becoming une orange. Try saying them both, and you'll see what I mean. |
I wasn't questioning the theory, just the example (in English). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JustJohn
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Location: Your computer screen
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Rutherford wrote: |
Spending most of my time around Korean kindergarteners is taking a toll on my language skills, so I picked up a copy of Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" and just saw the entry about this.
"Care less. "The dismissive "I couldn't care less" is often used with the shortened "not" mistakenly (and mysteriously) omitted: "I could care less." The error destroys the meaning of the sentence and is careless indeed." |
QFT |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I'm vindicated. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
