tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post7780963751311595601..comments2024-03-11T16:29:13.619-05:00Comments on Lingwë - Musings of a Fish: WOTD: FittJason Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-55221915206509636542009-06-29T09:42:23.164-05:002009-06-29T09:42:23.164-05:00That’s certainly good enough for me. Consider it o...That’s certainly good enough for me. Consider it on my list, then!Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-80404243575702686602009-06-27T20:08:10.336-05:002009-06-27T20:08:10.336-05:00You should read it. It's a good story, evocati...You should read it. It's a good story, evocative of the Cumbrian landscape and full of sub-fusc references to English literature (and other arts), including a mention of Saruman as a model for socially unadjusted behavior.Harm J. Schelhaasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-4840295459465032632009-06-25T09:52:50.248-05:002009-06-25T09:52:50.248-05:00Interesting, Harm. I haven’t ever read Plague Dogs...Interesting, Harm. I haven’t ever read <i>Plague Dogs</i>, though it’s been in the back of my mind to do so for years.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-24163748855807480582009-06-24T20:30:19.495-05:002009-06-24T20:30:19.495-05:00Searching my mind finally brought out where I had ...Searching my mind finally brought out where I had encountered the term <i>fit</i> (so spelled) first: In Richard Adams' <i>The Plague Dogs</i>, divided in ten such <i>fits</i>, numbered but untitled (as they should be).<br /><br />Still chuckling at David Bratman's "croggled".Harm J. Schelhaasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-8388105979053107622009-06-20T16:20:39.314-05:002009-06-20T16:20:39.314-05:00Jon, yes indeed I will, and I’m glad to hear you’r...Jon, yes indeed I will, and I’m glad to hear you’re interested. I am reading this book with special interest since I am teaching on the same topic this summer. Keep an eye out here on my blog, and I will definitely be sharing my thoughts on Dr. Solopova’s new book.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-65022509256992538552009-06-20T12:00:07.726-05:002009-06-20T12:00:07.726-05:00OT, but will you provide a review of Languages, My...OT, but will you provide a review of Languages, Myths and History at some point in the future? Please?Jon Myerovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18305236659409847419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-56569471171610524292009-06-20T11:50:10.011-05:002009-06-20T11:50:10.011-05:00But David, that’s just where you come in! And than...But David, that’s just where you come in! And thanks! I didn’t mention that poem because I’m really not terribly familiar with Lewis Carroll. Heresy, I know. I think I must have read “The Hunting of the Snark” at some point, as well as “Jabberwocky” and some other verse. But the Alice books are no more than a rumor to me (and a Disney film, probably a poor substitute). I note now that Carroll uses Chaucer’s spelling in his poem.<br /><br />By the way, speaking of etymology and Lewis Carroll’s “nonsense” verse, I’m reminded that Eric Partridge has a very intriguing essay, “The Nonsense Words of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll”, in <i>Here, There and Everywhere: Essays upon Language</i> (1950). In the essay, he essays to demonstrate that many of Carroll’s coinages are not such nonsense after all. There may well be others, but this is the only serious philological examination of “Jabberwocky” and “The Hunting of the Snark” that I’ve come across.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-73370545290623760872009-06-20T10:37:56.387-05:002009-06-20T10:37:56.387-05:00I remain croggled at a discussion of this word tha...I remain croggled at a discussion of this word that fails to mention "The Hunting of the Snark."David Bratmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08090662884600828582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-38877615205413044912009-06-20T05:11:17.739-05:002009-06-20T05:11:17.739-05:00No, figs are not native to these northern lands ;)...No, figs are not native to these northern lands ;)Ardamirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12535734219325255452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-40265133861762957822009-06-19T20:28:01.239-05:002009-06-19T20:28:01.239-05:00If true, that would make the similarity to the Ita...If true, that would make the similarity to the Italian nothing more than coincidence — which I suppose is what we should have suspected. The Italian means “fig” — why? I think I’d better leave that to your imagination! I don’t suppose you have figs in Scandinavia, do you?<br /><br />At some point, I may have to write a post on medieval obscenities. I bet that would bring in some visitors! :)Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-10513068380463173182009-06-19T17:59:05.057-05:002009-06-19T17:59:05.057-05:00Well, according to http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/f...Well, according to http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fitta:<br /><br />"At least since the early 16th century and probably much older. Of disputed origin, but most likely related to <i>fett</i> ("fat", noun) in some way. See also Finnish <i>vittu</i>."Ardamirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12535734219325255452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-12042328192656709802009-06-19T16:17:13.037-05:002009-06-19T16:17:13.037-05:00I should add that Italian figa is a northern diale...I should add that Italian <i>figa</i> is a northern dialectal form of the more common <i>fica</i>. That’s what happens when you rely on your memory and post a comment without going back to the reference books. :)Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-30613464910653278892009-06-19T16:09:59.410-05:002009-06-19T16:09:59.410-05:00It’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything, or I...It’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything, or I might have spit it all over the monitor laughing. Do you know the etymology of Swedish <i>fitta</i>? I’m wondering whether it’s related to Italian <i>figa</i> (with the same meaning). At first blush, one wouldn’t necessarily expect Swedish and Italian to be anything more than the most distant cousins, but the two forms are close enough to raise an eyebrow.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9050528436539921312.post-19093389441120184032009-06-19T15:39:34.889-05:002009-06-19T15:39:34.889-05:00Fortunately you didn't look into what modern S...Fortunately you didn't look into what modern Swedish <i>fitta</i> means. ;)Ardamirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12535734219325255452noreply@blogger.com