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Words that fit their meaning

Farted by HeinekenClock, September 30, 2011, 08:50:12 AM

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HeinekenClock

I thought about posting this in General, but I thought it would be more fitting for this forum considering this centers around language and this seemed more fitting. I could, of course, be wrong.

I was just reading an article on Cracked that was about jellyfish, then I looked up jellyfish on wikipedia because 90% of my time is spent aimlessly wandering on the internet to learn things that are irrelevant to me. The wikipedia page said some people have started calling jellyfish simply jellies or sea jellies because jellyfish is a misnomer, considering they're not even vertebrates, let alone fish. Then I thought the Dutch word for jellyfish is absolutely perfect for these things:

Kwal.

Picture yourself seeing a jellyfish for the first time ever, what name do you give it? To me, kwal comes pretty damn close.

A while ago I posted a Dutch dish in the cooking forum and it was a lumpy, green pea soup with lots of meat called snert. To which buttplug said:

Quote from: Buttplug;1844501Snert: the only food that looks exactly like it sounds

This might seem like a lame topic but I have an affinity with words that just sound right for the thing they're describing.

DWARFINATORclock


HookshotClock

Then you would have to go out of your way to define jelly.  Words exist for the sake of universal understanding, so why become technical regarding a definition that is understood by everyone already?

pop-tart

Are you on crack or something?


Are you talking about onomatopoeias in general... or only if pertaining to ocean creatures?

HeinekenClock

I'm not talking about onomatopoeias at all. Since when does a jellyfish make a sound? I'm talking about the rare few words that describe almost flawlessly when they mean. Words like "Monitor" or "Mouse", when pertaining to the electronic devices, hardly conjure up an image that comes near to what they mean (when I hear monitor, I think someone who monitors, not a screen).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism

DWARFINATORclock

heinekenclock fits you perfectly cause heineken is a shit beer and you are a shit person.

MSPaintClock

When I see myself in the mirror I think sexy man lady killer

Topcatyo


TelephoneClock

I think a jellyfish is more of a "flob," personally.

DWARFINATORclock

Quote from: Topcatyo;1861249i'd call a jellyfish "fleem"

Quote from: TelephoneClock;1861254I think a jellyfish is more of a "flob," personally.

youre not allowed to say that, if you disagree with heineken about the word "kwal" hell get mad and say youre a troll

AlbinoClock


FLOUNDERMAN_CLOCK

Cmon dwarfinator just let the kid have his thread.

DWARFINATORclock

Quote from: AlbinoClock;1861284Is kwal dutch or something?

yes

Quote from: FloundermanClock;1861286Cmon dwarfinator just let the kid have his thread.

why

Slurpee


PowerGloveClock

Quote from: Slurpee;1861351regurgitate


i'm watching QI right now :hi5:
Quote from: FLOUNDERINYOBUTT;1837615I think Kodiak is the only person on  this entire website who dislikes Slurpee. I still dont understand how  thats possible. He\'s so loveable and funny. Every guy wants to be his  friend and every girl wants to date him. Understandably Slurpee is not a  very happy person.

Sombra

I think Heineken is onto a real phenomenon although he may not have explained it perfectly. There's definitely some cross-cultural evidence showing that humans have a similarity in describing certain things, physically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect

Short version: giving "sharp" looking objects a name with "sharp" consonants like k as in "key" while "soft" looking objects are named with "soft" consonants like b as in "blue"

Sombra

Quote from: Sombra;1861365I think Heineken is onto a real phenomenon although he may not have explained it perfectly. There's definitely some cross-cultural evidence showing that humans have a similarity in describing certain things, physically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect

Short version: giving "sharp" looking objects a name with "sharp" consonants like k as in "key" while "soft" looking objects are named with "soft" consonants like b as in "blue"

Although I see the similarities with the Dutch dish apparently called "snert" and the English slang word for mucus being "snot," I'd argue that it's more of a subconscious linking between the two than any inherent naming type of thing.

Snot comes from Old English "gesnot" which means nasal mucus, and "snite" which means to pick one's nose. Also the proto-Germanic "snuttan" which apparently means snout.

Topcatyo

the word rot sounds like what it means

buttplug

I would call jellyfish fwoop because that is how they move through water

GearBoxClock

Mutant/Mutate is pretty fitting, all things considered