There was a bit on a show where some language was described as so complex that changing the speed of pronunciation changed the meaning yadda yadda,
Today I was driving and I had to swerve around a guy who darted out of a parking space, accelerate and jump back before I hit an oncoming car. I was reckless to be wreck-less, it seemed odd to me that two words that sound the same could have opposite meanings. Any others you can think of, and in the context of the topic how weird does this make us?
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
I don't know about the changing the speed of pronunciation thing, but there are a bunch of autoantonyms in English: oversight and cleave come to mind.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
An interesting example of a similar concept in Mandarin is "ma". Depending on which of the five tones is applied, it can either mean mother, horse, hemp, denote a question, or some fifth meaning that temporarily escapes me.
A consequence of the fact that tones can change the meaning of a word so much in Chinese, is that Chinese humour has many more jokes that play on language.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Tabling a resolution means either to put it on the table or to take it off.
The phrase "in a very real sense" means "not in any real sense"!
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
Indeed. And "literally" rarely literally means "literally". But that might just be gross misuse of the language.
Posted by Counter Bean (Member # 10176) on :
It might just be late but Cleave and Oversight do not jump at me, perhaps oversight as in to watch and to miss, would count but cleave?
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
The first two entries at dictionary.com:
quote: cleave1 [kleev] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –verb (used without object), cleaved or (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav·ing. 1. to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually fol. by to). 2. to remain faithful (usually fol. by to): to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution. [Origin: bef. 900; ME cleven, OE cleofian, c. OHG klebén (G kleben)]
quote: cleave2 [kleev] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo·ven, cleav·ing. –verb (used with object) 1. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood. 2. to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path through the wilderness. 3. to penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.): The bow of the boat cleaved the water cleanly. 4. to cut off; sever: to cleave a branch from a tree. –verb (used without object) 5. to part or split, esp. along a natural line of division. 6. to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usually fol. by through).
Interesting that the sense that is less familiar is listed first.
Posted by Counter Bean (Member # 10176) on :
'Cleave to' then not just cleave, that is what threw me, I have never thought of that meaning as seperate from the to.
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
Mmm, good point.
What about the verbs dust, pit, and shell? OK, maybe not so much pit and shell, but still.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Those are good. And "unloose" means "loose."
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
And inflammable means flammable. But perhaps the "in" is not a "not".
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I guess raise and raze don't count, because they're spelled differently.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
English uses stress patterns all the time to differentiate between adjective-noun pairs and compound nouns. A "black bird" and a "blackbird." A "hot tub" and a "hot-tub." Part of why I find spelling so important.
Posted by Counter Bean (Member # 10176) on :
no I would say raise and raze are good examples. Opposites that sound alike...
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: English uses stress patterns all the time to differentiate between adjective-noun pairs and compound nouns. A "black bird" and a "blackbird." A "hot tub" and a "hot-tub." Part of why I find spelling so important.
My partner pronounces toaster oven with the stress on "toaster". A toaster oven. It always throws me, because I grew up hearing it called a toaster oven.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
CB: I figured you were generally looking at this statement: "There was a bit on a show where some language was described as so complex that changing the speed of pronunciation changed the meaning yadda yadda".
Either way, words like that just generally happen. Every language probably has them, especially the more they borrow.