| Author | Message | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1392 Registered: 6-2008 |
If that's the case, shouldn't we pronounce it differently? By the way, my spider puzzle (Behind The Times) above has not seen any new posts in a long time. | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 275 Registered: 12-2010 |
Are you talking about one single word? An English word? Did you think it was etymologically related to another word and in fact, it isn't? Did you think it came from a foreign laguage? Latin? Greek? French? A different one? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1394 Registered: 6-2008 |
Are you talking about one single word? Yes An English word? Yes Did you think it was etymologically related to another word and in fact, it isn't? Yope or yesish Did you think it came from a foreign language? Latin? Greek? French? A different one? No, it was obvious that it comes from other English word(s) | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10751 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the word an acronym? A backronym? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1396 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is the word an acronym? A backronym? No to both | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 282 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is it a noun? verb? adjective? adverb? preposition? name? other? Is it the pronunciation of a vowel? a consonant? a syllable? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1398 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it a noun? verb? adjective?This adverb? preposition? name? other? Is it the pronunciation of a vowel? a consonant? a syllable?That I suggest should be pronounced differently? In that case, a consonant. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 2494 Registered: 9-2010 |
B? C? D? F? G? H? J? K? L? M? N? P? Q? R? S? T? V? W? X? (Y?) Z? | ||
| Whirligig (Whirligig)
New member Username: Whirligig Post Number: 766 Registered: 8-2010 |
Ð? Þ? Wynn (which doesn't render on this forum)? (Just in case; we don't know that this is Modern English. Then again, maybe I'm crazy.) | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1400 Registered: 6-2008 |
B? C? D? F? G? H? J? K? L? M? N? P? Q? R? S?This. Though this line of questioning will almost definitely not lead to the word. T? V? W? X? (Y?) Z? Ð? Þ? Wynn No to all. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10797 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the S pronounced as a soft S? A hard S? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1401 Registered: 6-2008 |
I can't find good definitions of what a soft and hard S sound like, but it is pronounced like the S in "soft" itself. From the etymology, it seems like it would be more logically pronounced like a Z, as at the end of plurals. | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 297 Registered: 12-2010 |
Does this word derive from another word? A noun? A verb? Is it an adjective that ends in -sy? | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 553 Registered: 2-2009 |
(generally, soft S = S sound, like the end of "cats"; hard s = Z sound, like the end of "cheeseburgers" ;-) -- basically, you got it) The reason you think it should be pronounced differently -- is it just the etymology? or something suggested by the word itself (like "soft" sounding soft)? Any of this relevant: the noun form of the root word? the historical context of when it came into use? What category of adjective is it: quantity/number? size? time? age? temperature? shape? distance/position (e.g. high, low, near, far)? material? feeling/quality? color? nationality/origin? qualifier (like flying squirrel, sleeping bag, or pine tree)? | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 554 Registered: 2-2009 |
Whoops, forgot one question... Is it an eponymous adjective (derived from a name)? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1403 Registered: 6-2008 |
Does this word derive from another word?In fact, two. A noun? One of them is a noun. A verb? No Is it an adjective that ends in -sy?No The reason you think it should be pronounced differently -- is it just the etymology?Yes or something suggested by the word itself (like "soft" sounding soft)? No Any of this relevant: the noun form of the root word?Yope or yesish. It's hard to understand what you're asking. the historical context of when it came into use? No What category of adjective is it: quantity/number? size? time? age? temperature? shape? distance/position (e.g. high, low, near, far)? material? feeling/quality? I'd say this, Though you may have a FA about what kind of noun it is used to describe. color? nationality/origin? qualifier (like flying squirrel, sleeping bag, or pine tree)? Is it an eponymous adjective (derived from a name)?No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10817 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it used to describe a concrete noun? Abstract noun? Proper noun? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1405 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it used to describe a concrete noun? Abstract noun?This, always. At least I can't think of a case where it wouldn't. Proper noun? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10830 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it used for describing a feeling? A touch? A sight? A sound? A taste? A scent? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1407 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it used for describing a feeling? A touch? A sight? A sound? A taste? A scent? Almost definitely none of these. | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 324 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is it used to describe something metaphysical? God? the soul? Is the s sound at the beginning of the word? In the middle? At the end? Does the same s sound exist in the noun that it's derived from? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1409 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it used to describe something metaphysical? God? the soul? No to all. Is the s sound at the beginning of the word? In the middle?This At the end? Does the same s sound exist in the noun that it's derived from? Yes, the noun is plural (in the correct etymology, not in my scrund) | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10874 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it used to describe a concept? An idea? A thought? | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 336 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is it a noun that does not have a singular form? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1411 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it used to describe a concept?This An idea? A thought? In particular, it describes an action or process, in the sense of "harrowing" in "harrowing journey" or "invigorating" in "invigorating exercise". Is it a noun that does not have a singular form?No, in fact the scrund involved the singular form. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1412 Registered: 6-2008 |
And just to clarify, the scrund did not involve not knowing the correct singular form. It involved the singular form being part of the origin of the longer adjective. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10883 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the word have the suffix "-ing" at the end? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1417 Registered: 6-2008 |
Does the word have the suffix "-ing" at the end?Yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10904 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the word hyphenated? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1420 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is the word hyphenated?No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10920 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the word considered to mean something pleasant? Unpleasant? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1422 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is the word considered to mean something pleasant? Unpleasant? I'd lean toward unpleasant. But "difficult" is more like it. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10933 Registered: 4-2010 |
Tantalizing? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1424 Registered: 6-2008 |
Tantalizing?No, not only would I definitely call that pleasant, but it has no S in it. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 2585 Registered: 9-2010 |
It does across the pond...they have no use for 'z's. Or zeds, as they call them, though I don't know why they bother to have a separate name for a letter even Shakespeare informed us they don't like. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10966 Registered: 4-2010 |
Excruciating? (Nope, no S in that one either...) Would I use the word to describe how I'm feeling about this puzzle right now? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1426 Registered: 6-2008 |
Would I use the word to describe how I'm feeling about this puzzle right now? Possibly about the kind of effort you are making to piece together the solution, I don't know. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10973 Registered: 4-2010 |
And just so we're clear, the Americanized version of the word has the S in it, right (as opposed to a Z w/the British S)? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1428 Registered: 6-2008 |
And just so we're clear, the Americanized version of the word has the S in it, right (as opposed to a Z w/the British S)? Yes, all forms have an S. A Z would make no sense, since as I said, it derives from a plural noun that is contained within the word. The "izing/ising" suffix has nothing to do with this. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 10980 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the relevant S in the word come from the plural noun? Is that the only S in the word? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1430 Registered: 6-2008 |
Does the relevant S in the word come from the plural noun? Is that the only S in the word? Yes to both. But keep in mind that in my scrund, I assumed that it came from a singular noun, and that the S came from elsewhere. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 11310 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the word end in "-sing"? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1448 Registered: 6-2008 |
Does the word end in "-sing"?No, the noun comes first. So the word looks like "_____s_____ing", where the "_____s" is the plural noun. Don't take the length of the blanks to mean anything, though. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 11326 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hang on...I have an idea, but the word escapes me. Crud. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1454 Registered: 6-2008 |
If you can approximately define the word, I'll tell you if you're right, and if you are, I will fill in some letters to help jog your memory. Though it's not that unusual of a word, so I'd find it rather unlikely you'd think OF the word without remembering it. Or if you wish to try and identify the nature of the scrund, you can illustrate your guesses with blanks. Remember I have told you that the true etymology is "_____s-_____ing", where I have put a hyphen after the plural noun to indicate that it's a plural noun + another word. | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 575 Registered: 2-2009 |
Well, I can't think of the word in question either (will try some more though), but I think I might be able to identify the nature of the scrund. Is it, for example, like if carspooling (cars-pooling) was a word, and you would think it would be pronounced /carz pooling/ but instead it's pronounced like /car spooling/? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1459 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it, for example, like if carspooling (cars-pooling) was a word, and you would think it would be pronounced /carz pooling/ but instead it's pronounced like /car spooling/? YES, exactly. I mentally parsed the word as being a singular noun, followed by a word beginning with S, for exactly the reason you mentioned in your example. Now if someone can guess the word... Probably the biggest hint is my reply to Balin on Friday, January 14, 2011 - 4:38 am. | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 576 Registered: 2-2009 |
ooh ooh! I think I thought of it! Balin, you've done a lot of work here... mind if I throw my guess out there, or do you still want to think of it? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 11460 Registered: 4-2010 |
Kalira, it's all yours. | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 577 Registered: 2-2009 |
Painstaking? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1464 Registered: 6-2008 |
Painstaking?Yes. There's a nice little discussion on the page that cured my scrund, here: http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/english/345/pain-staking/ For those not in the know, eggcorns are a particular type of verbal scrund. ******************SPOILER******************** | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 11489 Registered: 4-2010 |
Huh! I had that scrund too, up until...right now. And that wasn't even the word I was thinking of. |
