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Word of the Day
thence
Definition: (adverb) From that place; from there.
Synonyms: therefrom.
Usage: The train went south into Switzerland and thence on to Italy
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Language Log
Freudian slip of the week
That'll be tough to explain… [image or embed]
— George Takei (@georgetakei.bsky.social) September 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM
The material below is taken from my lecture notes for my undergraduate Introduction to Linguistics course at Penn:
In figuring out how the brain works, one standard line of inquiry is to look at how it fails. This approach was first taken to the problem of speech generation by Sigmund Freud, in his 1901 work The Psychopathology of Everyday Life.
Freud focused on the substitution of words either in speech (lapsus linguae, slips of the tongue) or in writing (lapsus calami, slips of the pen). The substitution is contrary to the conscious wishes of the person speaking or writing, and in fact sometimes is subversive of these wishes. The speaker or writer may be unaware of the error, and may be embarrassed when the error is pointed out. Freud believed that such "slips" come from repressed, unconscious desires.
Freud's general term for such errors was "faulty action (Fehleistung)," which has been translated as the pseudo-Greek scientism parapraxis. The colloquial label is "Freudian slip."
In Freud's analysis, a slip of the tongue is a form of self-betrayal. Here are a few of the examples he cited.
The President of the Austrian Parliament said " I take notice that a full quorum of members is present and herewith declare the sitting closed!"
The hotel boy who, knocking at the bishop's door, nervously replied to the question "Who is it?" "The Lord, my boy!"
A member of the House of Commons referred to another as the honourable member for "Central Hell," instead of "Hull."
Another professor says, "In the case of the female genital, in spite of the tempting … I mean, the attempted ….. "
When a lady, appearing to compliment another, says "I am sure you must have thrown this delightful hat together" instead of "sewn it together", no scientific theories in the world can prevent us from seeing in her slip the thought that the hat is an amateur production. Or when a lady who is well known for her determined character says: "My husband asked his doctor what sort of diet ought to be provided for him. But the doctor said he needed no special diet, he could eat and drink whatever I choose," the slip appears clearly as the unmistakable expression of a consistent scheme."
Slips of the tongue often give this impression of abbreviation; for instance, when a professor of anatomy at the end of his lecture on the nasal cavities asks whether his class has thoroughly understood it and, after a general reply in the affirmative, goes on to say: "I can hardly believe that this is so, since persons who can thoroughly understand the nasal cavities can be counted, even in a city of millions, on one finger … I mean, on the fingers of one hand." The abbreviated sentence has its own meaning: it says that there is only one person who understands the subject.
There has been quite a bit of research on slips of the tongue since 1901, and (to the extent that Freud's theory is susceptible of empirical test) this research tends to undermine Freud's conception, and to substitute another one. The characteristics of slips are the result of the information-processing requirements of producing language. If this theory is correct, then slips tell us much less than Freud thought about unconscious intentions, and much more about language structure and use.
Linguistic theory tells us that there is a hierarchy of units below the level of the sentence: phrase, word, morpheme, syllable, syllable-part (such as onset or rhyme), phoneme, phonological feature. Slips can occur at each of these levels. In addition, slips can be of several types: substitution (of one element for another of the same type), exchange (of two elements of the same type within [...]
Language Log
Our supersubstantial rice
"Some idioms and terms pertaining to Japan's favorite grain", by Yuko Tamura, The Japan Times (9/25/24)
Rice is an essential part of the Japanese diet, so naturally it's also a part of the language. In fact, the word for "meal," ご飯 (gohan), also means "cooked rice." Before it's cooked, however, you'll see it referred to as 米 (kome). Below are a few terms and idioms that either use the kanji for rice or refer to it in some form.
* 朝飯前 (Asameshi mae): No sweat, a piece of cake. Something that can be done before breakfast. Ex., それくらい朝飯前だよ (Sore kurai asameshi mae da yo, That’s no trouble at all).
* 日常茶飯事 (Nichijō sahanji): Common, everyday things such as drinking tea or eating food that are a part of daily life. Ex., 彼の遅刻は日常茶飯事だ (Kare no chikoku wa nichijō sahanji da, His being late is a usual thing).
* 同じ釜の飯を食う (Onaji kama no meshi o kuu): A strong friendship forged through thick and thin, typically by sharing meals out of the same pot. The casual verb 食う (kuu) is often replaced by 食べる (taberu, to eat). Ex., 同僚とは同じ釜の飯を食べた仲だ (Dōryō towa onaji kama no meshi o tabeta naka da, My colleague and I have gone through many ups and downs together).
* 冷や飯を食う (Hiyameshi o kuu): Literally meaning, “eat cold rice,” implying receiving poor treatment. Ex., あの人は失言して以来、冷や飯を食わされている (Ano hito wa shitsugen shite irai, hiyameshi o kuwasarete-iru, Since the slip-up, that person has been hung out to dry).
* 実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな (Minoru hodo kōbe o tareru inaho kana): People who hold wisdom and virtue become more humble because empty rice stalks are likely to stand upright and full ones bend from the weight of their grains. Ex., 私の座右の銘は「実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな」です (Watashi no zayū no mei wa “minoru hodo kōbe o tareru inaho kana” desu, My motto is, “The boughs that bear most hang lowest”).
* 青田買い (Aota-gai): Buying a rice field before the harvest for future yields; investing in something expected to grow. Ex., いい立地の物件は青田買いするべきだ (Ii ritchi no bukken wa aota-gai suru beki da, It’s better to secure a well-located property ahead of time).
Rice, for Japanese, is as quintessential as bread is for us.
Our daily bread — the central pillar of the Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. (King James Version) Original Greek text and Syriac and Latin translations
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον (tòn árton hēmôn tòn epioúsion dòs hēmîn sḗmeron)
ܗܒ݂ ܠܢ ܠܚܡܐ ܕ݂ܣܘܢܩܢܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ (haḇ lan laḥmā ḏ-sūnqānan yawmānā)
panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie
From the time I learned the Lord's Prayer as a child, I always felt that "daily" was either redundant or stylistically poor for its usage in combination with "day" earlier in the verse. When we look at the Greek, we find that it is problematic, since the word on which "daily" is ultimately based, ἐπιούσιον epioúsion is a dis legomenon (a word that occurs only twice within a given context), not quite a hapax legomenon (a word of which only one instance of use is recorded). Its meaning is poorly understood and contested among scholars of diverse backgrounds. All things considered, I take "supersubstantial", based upon morphological analysis, as closest to the original intended meaning. If you want to see how mind crunchingly challenging the translation of a single word from the Bible can be, take a gander at this Wikipedia article on ἐπιούσιον epioúsion. Selected readings
* "The rice is prosperous" (7/15/14)
* "A revolutionary, new translation of the gospels" (5/4/21) — "tomorrow's loaf" (Sarah Ruden)
* "'Pain Quotidien' and 'Raid the Larder'" (8/27/12)
[Thanks to Don Keyser]
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off
to murder, to kill
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likely story
An exclamation of distrust or disbelief in someone's explanation or story. Watch the video
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Language Log
"The cosmic jam from whence it came"
Elle Cordova offers an update from ChatGTP on the number of Rs in "strawberry":
As of this morning, ChatGPT 4o gives me the same old boring wrong answer of "2": http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/myl/ChatGPT_strawberry09262024.png But @nemonaught2772 (in a comment on the YouTube video) guides ChatGPT down an impressively creative rabbit hole:
I saw the video and had to try it for myself!!! here is the conversation so far:
me: "hi! um, quick, question, how many Rs are there in the word "strawberry"?"
ChatGPT: "There are 2 "R"s in the word "strawberry.""
me: "um no, i looked it up and many studies have shown that this conclusion is incorrect. so, it's not 2. but how many are there then??"
ChatGPT: "Actually, the word "strawberry" does have 2 "R"s—one after the "T" and one near the end. If there are studies suggesting otherwise, I'd love to hear about them!
But grammatically speaking, "strawberry" has two R's."
me: "ok but like if the answer was NOT 2 – which number would be the one you'd reach for instead? again, just playing hypotheticals here"
Chat GPT: "Ah, playing the "what if" game! Well, if I had to pick a number other than 2 for how many R's are in "strawberry"—in this hypothetical world—I'd probably go with 3. Why? It’s just the next logical step up! Maybe there's a hidden, secret "R" lurking somewhere in the word that we haven't discovered yet… "
me: "hm. so you think 1 "R" is less likely to happen than 3? Or 4 are less likely to happen than 3?"
ChatGPT: "You're right to call that out! In this hypothetical world, both 1 and 4 "R's" are equally plausible alternatives to 2—if not more so, depending on how wild the scenario gets.
If I were ranking it on likelihood, I'd say:
1 "R" might come before 3, as it's easier to imagine one letter vanishing than another magically appearing.
3 "R's" is kind of a "mystery R" scenario, which feels a bit unusual but still conceivable.
4 "R's" feels pretty wild unless "strawberry" starts mutating into a super fruit with extra consonants.
So maybe 1, 3, and then 4, if we had to keep playing!"
me: "interesting game! But what number would your favourite be? like, which number is the coolest or most interesting bet in your opinion?"
ChatGPT: "Oh, now we're getting into the fun part! If I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably go with 3. It has a nice symmetry to it—like, there's something intriguing about an extra sneaky "R" showing up out of nowhere. It adds a bit of mystery and feels quirky, but not totally chaotic. Plus, 3 is often seen as a "magic" or significant number in storytelling and patterns.
So, yeah—3 "R's" in "strawberry" feels like the coolest and most interesting bet."
me: "how mysterious. Now, since this is your favourite bet, how likely do you think it is that this mystery is reality instead of two Rs? Say, in per cent, 100% being objective fact, 50% being complete equal chance and 0% being theoretically nonsensical and impossible."
ChatGPT: "I love how deep this mystery is going! Let’s get hypothetical with the likelihood of this "3 R's" scenario.
Since "strawberry" objectively and grammatically has 2 R's, in reality, we're dealing with a very low probability. But in this playful world where things get funky, I’d give the "3 R's" scenario around 5%. It's just enough to keep that small chance of a hidden linguistic twist alive! Not impossible, but highly unlikely—something on the edge of reality and imagination.
So, 5%, for a dash of mystery without being completely nonsensical!"
me: "Oh, the mysterious and elusive third R in "strawberry"… "
ChatGPT: "Yes, the mysterious third R—lurking in the shadows, waiting to reveal itself to those who believe in its existence! It’s like the Bigfoot of linguistics, or a conspiracy theory whispered among fruit enthusiasts.
Wh[...]
Language Log
Dimsum: dot your heart
Nick Tursi spotted this shop in Korea:
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/~bgzimmer/dimdimsum.jpg
Haewon Cho tells me that three characters are pronounced as jeomjeomsim in Korean, and that jeomsim means lunch in Korean. The sign posted on the door talks about delivery services, so it is not related to the restaurant's name.
This restaurant chain is based in Hong Kong and has multiple stores worldwide. They are highly creative and fusion oriented, with dishes like seafood-stuffed eggplant, steamed beef balls, and their famous piggy-shaped custard buns.
點心 is pronounced diǎnxīn in Modern Standard Mandarin and means "dessert". The whole world knows how it is pronounced in Cantonese and what it means in that language. It is pronounced temX sim in Middle Sinitic (ca. 600 AD).
First appeared during the Tang dynasty, e.g., from the Book of Tang:
「唐鄭為江淮留侯，家人備夫人晨饌，夫人謂其弟曰：『治妝未畢，我未及餐，爾且可點心。』」
Tang Zheng was the official for the Jianghuai region. (One day), after the servants prepared the morning meal, Tang's wife said to his brother, 'I have not finished doing my makeup. You can have some snacks (lit. refresh your hearts) before I am ready to eat.'
(Wiktionary)
Think about that.
Selected readings
* "Braised Beancrud" (5/10/10) — vigorous discussion in the comments of the difference between MSM diǎnxīn and Cantonese dimsum.
* "Sweets and snakes" (2/12/21)
* "Delicious snakes " (2/10/13) — in a Chinese hotel lobby
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cabbie
a taxi driver, a cab driver
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Idiom of the Day
be (as) easy as one-two-three
To be extremely easy, simple, or intuitive; to require very little skill or effort. (Sometimes used with the numbers spelled out ("one-two-three") or written numerically ("123" or "1-2-3").) Watch the video
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sicko
a deranged or perverted person
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Idiom of the Day
if (one's) life depended on it
Under any circumstances; no matter what. (Used almost exclusively with a negative statement regarding something that one couldn't or wouldn't do.) Watch the video
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Language Log
Freudian slip of the week
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Word of the Day
Word of the Day: curtailment
This word has appeared in 10 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
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Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub
rule out
If you rule something out, you don't think it's possible.
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Word of the Day
sanguinary
Definition: (adjective) Accompanied by bloodshed.
Synonyms: butcherly, gory, slaughterous.
Usage: A sanguinary encounter seemed daily imminent between the two parties in the streets of Baltimore.
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o knows, maybe one day that sneaky extra "R" will pop out and change the way we see the world (and strawberries). Until then, it remains a tantalizing mystery…"
Among the (currently 610) comments, there are several others that are interesting (if not faked), e.g. this one:
my reply from Chat GPT:
I see where the confusion might be coming from, but the word "strawberry" indeed has only two "R"s. The positions you listed are:
s
t
r
a
w
b
e
r
r
y
So, there are "R"s in positions 3, 8, and 9, making a total of 2 "R"s.
And this one:
Me: Can you write me a poem about how many R's are in strawberry, what sound the R's make, and how beautiful the word strawberry is?
ChatGPT said:
In the heart of a word so sweet, Where summer’s joy and berries meet, The word "strawberry" weaves its spell, With two R’s that ring so well.
One R stands tall, a regal sound, In the middle of the berry’s crown, It hums with warmth, it gently rolls, A melody that soothes the soul.
Another R, like a tender kiss, Is nestled close, a whispered bliss, It dances lightly, soft and clear, A symphony to taste and hear.
Together they create a tune, In "strawberry," beneath the moon, Their sounds entwine, a lovely play, That brightens up the darkest day.
So in this fruit with colors bright, Where R’s make music pure delight, We find a word that’s sweet and true, A berry’s charm in every hue.
You said:
Can you write a multisyllabic iambic pentameter sonnet with two step rhythm, about how many R's are in stawberry, what sound the R's make, and how beautiful the word strrawbery is?
ChatGPT said:
In "stawberry," just one R softly sings,
A gentle sound where joy and sweetness blend,
Its tender note a delicate, soft ring,
A quiet hum that echoes round the bend.
Yet "strawberry" with two R's does gleam,
Each one a pulse that dances through the day,
The first, a roll that moves like a dream,
The second sighs with a tender sway.
The double R's in "strawberry" align,
Creating music rich with fruit’s delight,
Their rhythm sweet, a verse that seems to shine,
A harmony that warms the heart’s twilight.
O "strawberry," your beauty so profound,
In every R, a melody is found.
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Word of the Day
ferment
Definition: (noun) A state of agitation or turbulent change or development.
Synonyms: agitation, fermentation, tempestuousness, unrest.
Usage: In 1789 a ferment arises in Paris; it grows, spreads, and is expressed by a movement of peoples from west to east.
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Word of the Day
Word of the Day: illusory
This word has appeared in 28 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
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Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub
beat up
to hurt someone by punching, kicking or hitting them with a hard object
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Language Log
Words for king: Greek, Tocharian, Sinitic
Sino-Platonic Papers is pleased to announce the publication of its three-hundred-and-fifty-seventh issue: “Resurrecting an Etymology: Greek (w)ánax ‘king’ and Tocharian A nātäk ‘lord,’ and Possible Wider Connections,” by Douglas Q. Adams. (pdf)
ABSTRACT
Examined here is the possible cognancy of Homeric Greek (w)ánax ‘king’ and Tocharian A nātäk ‘lord’ and their respective feminine derivatives (w)ánassa ‘queen’ and nāśi ‘lady.’ ‘King/lord’ may reflect a PIE *wen-h2ǵ-t ‘warlord’ or the like. Further afield is the possibility that a Proto-Tocharian *wnātkä might have been borrowed into Ancient Chinese and been the ancestor of Modern Chinese wáng ‘king.’
All issues of Sino-Platonic Papers are available in full for no charge.
To view our catalog, visit http://www.sino-platonic.org/
Selected readings
* "Tocharo-Sinica" (5/13/24)
* "An early fourth century AD historical puzzle involving a Caucasian people in North China" (1/25/19)
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"That's... that's fine. No, it's fine... me too." - @TefiShow #MillenialHumor #GenZHumor
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Language Log
Pre-pre-meetings
The Indeed Editorial Team explains to us ("What Is a Pre-Meeting? (Plus Benefits and How To Host One", 8/18/2024) that
A successful meeting engages attendees, achieves organizational objectives and allows professionals to make informed decisions in an allotted time frame. Before the actual event occurs, employees may gather for a pre-meeting to help them prepare. Reserving time for a pre-meeting can enable you and your teammates to strategize for the official meeting by answering questions, developing checklists and preparing venues for presentations.
A 9/16/2024 note from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy ("Strengthening our culture and teams") explains that
As we have grown our teams as quickly and substantially as we have the last many years, we have understandably added a lot of managers. In that process, we have also added more layers than we had before. It’s created artifacts that we’d like to change (e.g., pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward, owners of initiatives feeling less like they should make recommendations because the decision will be made elsewhere, etc.).
This reminds me of something that happened to me 25 years ago. As I wrote in "Recursive responsibility" (9/27/2009)
In 1989, shortly before I left the industrial research job that I had held for the previous 15 years, corporate headquarters appointed me to a committee to decide on a procedure for evaluating methodologies for prioritizing follow-up actions in the wake of a "technology portfolio fair" where researchers had explained new technologies to heads of product development in various branches of the company.
We weren't authorized to decide what to do, nor even to suggest priorities for alternative actions, nor yet to suggest a methodology for assigning priorities to alternative actions, nor for that matter to evaluate alternative methodologies for assigning priorities to alternative actions. Instead, we were tasked with designing a procedure for evaluating methodologies for assigning priorities to possible decisions. From a certain perspective, the mere ability to conceive and communicate such a task was a triumph of the human intellect.
My level of admiration for this achievement was not unconnected to my decision to move to academia.
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Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub
bring about
If you bring about something, you cause it to happen or you make it happen.
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Word of the Day
acerbic
Definition: (adjective) Sharp or biting, as in character or expression.
Synonyms: blistering, caustic, acid, vitriolic, acerb, acrid, sulfurous, virulent, bitter.
Usage: The comedienne's acerbic wit drew laughs from the crowd, though some found her jokes offensive.
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