English words with Asian language origins

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 7:46 pm

As far as we can tell the phrase "idiot savant" is an English phrase that may or may not have made its way into French. The fact that most of the Google references I can find are recent, normally referring to the film "Rain Man", and sometimes put in quotes, suggest that it is perceived as a loan word from English.

'savant' entered the English language in the 18th century. 'Idiot' is a technical term referring to a certain IQ (under 25 I believe). So when Wendell Holmes made his infamous and erroneous judgement in the Virginia sterilzation case ;- "Three generation of idiots is enough" - he was not being gratuitiously insulting but was merely using the technical terms of his day. You will certainly get many more references for 'idiot savant' in English than in French, suggesting that the word originally came from English, and the existence of the plural form 'idiot savants' which coexists in English with the "French"plural 'idiots savants', suggests that the word is English, since the word 'savant' is taken as the noun and idiot as the adjective, whereas in French it would be the other way round.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 2:06 pm

Hi,

Just a question.

Has anyone considered 'char' = tea, or is this now out of favour and therefore inadmissable? Isn't it a loan word that has been anglicised ('ch'a') so placing it in the same group as typhoon and kowtow. Just thought of another one - where would queque be found? (No jokes please!)

By the way, the technical term for a typhoon or hurricane is a tropical revolving storm.

Peter

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 2:52 pm

That's just not a standard word in the English language; a colloquialism that will be understood if the context is given.
I guess the Queen never invites heads of state to "a cup of cha at Buckingham Palace".

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:48 am

With all the wierd and wonderful going ons at Buck House recently I wouldn't be at all surprised if Queenypoos did indeed say "Fancy a cuppa cha mate?" to visiting heads of state, who'd be too shocked by all the other things to notice anyway...

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 10:48 pm

Those of us who can afford charladies always spell it "Char", though of course one doesn't pronounce the final 'r' - one leaves that to the people who make it.

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:39 am

Could one pronounce the final r even if one wanted to?! SJ you are wrong wrong wrong it is silent I tell you!!!

Duncan Powrie · Post by **Duncan Powrie** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 4:53 am

Hahahaha only joking (about how often I misunderstand things). Of course one can't pronounce the r (even the chaRladies), hence SJ's joke about the spelling. I was just wondering if anyone would jump on me for making a blooper again...guess if you don't make super-sense on this forum, you get ignored!

Yeah gimme some more of that SILENT contempt, yes, yes, YES!!

Sorry, I've been working too hard recently...