Word Game: Language-Related Clues and Lingustic Q&A

  • Thread starter Thread starter honestrosewater
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Game
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on a word game involving language-related clues and linguistic questions. Participants provide hints about words, often derived from etymology or linguistic characteristics, and others guess the words based on these clues. Key examples include the word "mongoose," which refers to a mammal from India, and "pneumonia," linked to a lung disease with Indo-European roots. The game encourages engagement with language and etymology, fostering a community of language enthusiasts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic linguistics and etymology
  • Familiarity with Indo-European language roots
  • Knowledge of English vocabulary and its origins
  • Ability to interpret clues and wordplay
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the etymology of common English words using Etymonline
  • Study Indo-European language families and their characteristics
  • Learn about linguistic games and puzzles to enhance vocabulary skills
  • Investigate the historical context of words in heraldry and their meanings
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for linguists, language enthusiasts, educators, and anyone interested in expanding their vocabulary through engaging word games and etymological exploration.

  • #61
chanter sound
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #62
turbo-1 said:
chanter sound


Umm, pipe? As in a chanter is the melody pipe of a bagpipe, and to pipe up is to make a sound?
 
  • #63
yes, it was too easy maybe, but it's one of my favorite words... what is it?

"pipe up" is kind of close, but no cigar...
 
Last edited:
  • #64
It's a single syllable word, with a pronuciation suggestive of the sound it describes.
 
  • #65
The only one I can think of is "om" or "aum".
 
  • #66
This is probably a give-away, but it is a synonym of pipe.
 
  • #67
A single syllable word, with a pronuciation suggestive of the sound it describes, and which is synonomous with pipe?!

Still the only word besides 'om', which sounds like a chanting sound would be 'hum', but I don't think that necessarily is synonymous with 'pipe'.
 
  • #68
selfAdjoint was soooooooo close, I thought he had it.
 
  • #69
Evidently, it is didgeridoo; that's a one syllable word.
 
  • #70
arildno said:
Evidently, it is didgeridoo; that's a one syllable word.
I guess it's one syllable if you've had enough Aussie brews, and those things look a lot like pipes.

The word has five letters and is but one letter removed from the name of a piece of women's clothing.
 
  • #71
arildno said:
Evidently, it is didgeridoo; that's a one syllable word.
Well, only if one refers to it as a didge as some Aussies like to do.

I am an engineer, what would I know about women's clothing? :biggrin:
 
  • #72
Have any of you trouble with the update function of PF right now?

The word is brahh, by the way (one h missing)
 
  • #73
Astronuc said:
I am an engineer, what would I know about women's clothing? :biggrin:
As much as any highlander, I hope! (Runs screaming from band of enraged Scots.)
 
  • #74
arildno said:
Have any of you trouble with the update function of PF right now?
The word is brahh, by the way (one h missing)
Sorry, and I can't think of any more good clues that wouldn't give it away outright. It is a word that when pronounced aloud evokes the sound it describes.
 
  • #75
So I was close was I? How about peep, then. If you say it you do it.
 
  • #76
selfAdjoint said:
So I was close was I? How about peep, then. If you say it you do it.
Darn it, sA, you were so close that playing the hot or cold game, you were about to burst into flames. It is a wonderful lyrical word, and the bagpipe reference you gave made me think that you nailed it, but were being coy.
 
  • #77
I don't want to give it away, but the word is EXACTLY (no transpositions, just one letter substitution) one letter away from an article of women's clothing that might infuriate a highlander should you use it to refer to his dress.
 
Last edited:
  • #78
skirl? ...
 
  • #79
You have figured it out, honestrosewater! Skirl is a very nice word that embodies (to me) the characterisics of the sound that it describes. "The skirl of the pipes" evokes the plaintive and "far away" sound that makes the bagpipes so attractive. You are on deck, buddy!
 
  • #80
turbo-1 said:
As much as any highlander, I hope! (Runs screaming from band of enraged Scots.)
I am descended from the Highlanders, and I still don't know about women's clothing. Kilts and sporrans I understand, however, and I never 'go regimental' in a kilt. :biggrin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1stBatBW.jpg Ooops! :smile:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #81
Astronuc said:
I am descended from the Highlanders, and I still don't know about women's clothing. Kilts and sporrans I understand, however, and I never 'go regimental' in a kilt. :biggrin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1stBatBW.jpg Ooops! :smile:
I have never "gone regimental" either, but trying to cover Peter Green, Elmore James, Clapton, et al can make you feel like you've got your butt on the line. You don't want to drop a clam in front of a room full of patrons...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #82
Okay, a little literature... might be too easy...

These days are green and cold.
 
  • #83
Thanks to the coiner (or the author of the earliest attested use) of the phrase, it's also a foregone conclusion that those who won't budge an inch and those who try to come full circle in one fell swoop make strange bedfellows, come what may.
 
  • #84
salad days - Cleo
 
  • #85
turbo-1 said:
salad days - Cleo
Yeppers. Green in judgment, cold in blood. Heh, and she was talking about Julius Caesar... Caesar salad... salad days. Hah. Okay, I'm easily amused. :-p Batter up!
 
  • #86
OK, this is the name of a weapon that is similar to the name of a tobacco receptacle.
 
  • #87
turbo-1 said:
OK, this is the name of a weapon that is similar to the name of a tobacco receptacle.


An ash trebuchet? Used to hurl butts at the enemy.
 
  • #88
bazooka...like hookah?
 
  • #89
Bayonet (cigarette)?
 
  • #90
Think 17th century weapon, 19th century waste receptacle.
 

Similar threads

How Does the Word Behave Reflect Its Etymological Roots?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
6K