this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
619 points (96.1% liked)

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[–] [email protected] 97 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Me when languages from different groups have different words for an object

[–] [email protected] 59 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 50 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Actually, English is a Germanic language. However, you are right that this specific word in English is not Germanic.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Most words in English aren't.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago

Those damn French.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

English is a chimera that ate the faces of 3 other languages and wears their skins

[–] [email protected] 81 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Handskar, I stand with the Germans on this one

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I know it's not likely, but I REALLY like the idea of "handcar"

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

It's not exactly handcar, but "vehicle" in german is "drivething" (Fahrzeug).

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

I love how they jam words together to make new words. As I understand it, German is easier to learn because the bigger words are made of smaller words glued together instead of creating new words with no clues. I got this from a book on the history of the English language, which I will again promote because it was so fun to read:

Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme and Other Oddities of the English Language

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

Plane is Fly Thing (Flugzeug)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You know, I know just enough German to have wondered how -zeug fit into things and now I know and I'm pretty happy about drive and fly things 😂

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Are you also happy about play things (toys), fire things (lighters), hit things (drums), work things (tools) and green things (greenery)?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Okay well yes when you point out the obvious and valid English word handcar I see how this is a dumb comment haha

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

See I'd much prefer one woth pedals, like a bike.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think it would be very practical. It's so heavy you have to use your entire body weight to get it going.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

I didn't realize I've been saying "hand shoes" all my life. Finnish word hanskat obviously comes from Swedish handskar. Maybe I should say käsineet instead so it would have nothing to do with shoes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Har undrat vad "skar" betyder i ordet. Hand är ju självklart men inte hittat något om vad skar menar eller brukade mena.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 weeks ago

If it weren't for all that Latin and French influence, we'd still be calling them handshoes, too.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Once you can wrap your head around Handshuhe, Fingerhut becomes obvious. "Ah, so this is how this is going to go."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Following that logic then how about Penis-Regenmantel?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Japanese: 手袋 = Tebukuro = Hand bag/sack

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

mittens should be handbags

handbags should be, uh, just bags?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Handbags are just bags in Japanese, but a different bag word: 鞄 (kaban)

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Eskularruak.

I prefer to call my gloves handfurs thankyouverymuch

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

To handle furries better, smart, I just use work gloves tho.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

I mean, the German has a point

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

It's almost like they have different root languages

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Then a wild перчатки (perchatki) appeared.