I'm not a poet and to be honest don't always understand or find poetry interesting, but I always love being taken along your word wonderings and seeing a glimpse into how your brain is interpreting the world around it
Thanks Josh! I can resonate. I never would have foreseen myself developing an appreciation for poetry, and for me it sprung in part out of an interest in the power of language. That won't have the same effect on everyone, but I'm glad there's something in here you're enjoying.
I stumbled upon this randomly and was just delighted by your post! I, too, love etymologies and finding *just* the right word.
In addition to most Medieval-type words (like 'wending') I love words that sound like what they mean; tinsel, cudgel, blugeon, explosion are just a few of these. I also find 'boxcar' to be strangely satisfying.
If I'm allowed to travel into the world of foreign languages, my favorite Finnish word right now is 'kysymys' (KOO-soo-moos, generally. The 'y' sound is an 'oo' that comes more from the back of the mouth.). It means 'a question,' and I just love how many Ys it has!
Hmm... Looking back at this, I think I might just like words in general...Oops.😆
This is great, Eliana! I have so much appreciation for YOUR appreciation of words. Everything you listed from 'cudgel' to 'boxcar' has a very earthy feel to it. Even 'tinsel.' And 'boxcar' especially feels very Germanic -- just telling it like it is (a car that is a box).
I love the foreign language excursion! My wife has some strong Finnish blood, so 'sisu' (grit, resilience) can be heard from time to time at family get-togethers. 'kysymys' is a new one for me though! We‘ll see how involved Into the Word Wood gets, but I may spend a little time on that 'y' sound -- which is common in PIE-rooted languages (Greek, German, even Old English, to list just a few) -- and its transition to 'ee' and 'i' as we have in English today.
Thanks for popping in! Always great to connect with another word enthusiast.
I'm delighted that you have such a connection to Finnish! I can't say that I find many (or really any) people with one.
Ooh! I'd love to read about the journey of the 'y' sound! I had no idea our I's started there. It sounds fascinating!
Thanks for writing such fun articles! It's a pleasure to read them. I'm so glad there's someone out there who can lead me through the Word Wood and show me all the flowers.
My seven-year-old has one or two of those delightfully incorrect verb tenses still in use, and I can't bear to move her beyond this phase! I always enjoy your forays into the meaning and play of words. Can't wait to hear more!
Thanks Lindsey! And I completely understand. We can be in solidarity together over failing to teach our kids out of the phase :) What are some of the things your seven-year-old says?
I'm not sure that this is the best place to recommend another Substack to you, but I couldn't find any other means.
Anyway, I have a friend, Tjabe (pronounced JAYB), who is releasing a sci-fi story one chapter at a time and is looking for people to read it and give him feedback on it. You seem like one that may be well-read in quality literature and may enjoy stories, and I'm sure any observations you had would be very valuable to him. I, for one, have really enjoyed the 3 chapters he's posted so far: they are both funny and quite intriguing.
If you're interested, you can find him at The Noble Theme on Substack.
Thanks for taking the time to read this rather verbose comment!
I'm not a poet and to be honest don't always understand or find poetry interesting, but I always love being taken along your word wonderings and seeing a glimpse into how your brain is interpreting the world around it
Thanks Josh! I can resonate. I never would have foreseen myself developing an appreciation for poetry, and for me it sprung in part out of an interest in the power of language. That won't have the same effect on everyone, but I'm glad there's something in here you're enjoying.
I stumbled upon this randomly and was just delighted by your post! I, too, love etymologies and finding *just* the right word.
In addition to most Medieval-type words (like 'wending') I love words that sound like what they mean; tinsel, cudgel, blugeon, explosion are just a few of these. I also find 'boxcar' to be strangely satisfying.
If I'm allowed to travel into the world of foreign languages, my favorite Finnish word right now is 'kysymys' (KOO-soo-moos, generally. The 'y' sound is an 'oo' that comes more from the back of the mouth.). It means 'a question,' and I just love how many Ys it has!
Hmm... Looking back at this, I think I might just like words in general...Oops.😆
This is great, Eliana! I have so much appreciation for YOUR appreciation of words. Everything you listed from 'cudgel' to 'boxcar' has a very earthy feel to it. Even 'tinsel.' And 'boxcar' especially feels very Germanic -- just telling it like it is (a car that is a box).
I love the foreign language excursion! My wife has some strong Finnish blood, so 'sisu' (grit, resilience) can be heard from time to time at family get-togethers. 'kysymys' is a new one for me though! We‘ll see how involved Into the Word Wood gets, but I may spend a little time on that 'y' sound -- which is common in PIE-rooted languages (Greek, German, even Old English, to list just a few) -- and its transition to 'ee' and 'i' as we have in English today.
Thanks for popping in! Always great to connect with another word enthusiast.
I'm delighted that you have such a connection to Finnish! I can't say that I find many (or really any) people with one.
Ooh! I'd love to read about the journey of the 'y' sound! I had no idea our I's started there. It sounds fascinating!
Thanks for writing such fun articles! It's a pleasure to read them. I'm so glad there's someone out there who can lead me through the Word Wood and show me all the flowers.
My seven-year-old has one or two of those delightfully incorrect verb tenses still in use, and I can't bear to move her beyond this phase! I always enjoy your forays into the meaning and play of words. Can't wait to hear more!
Thanks Lindsey! And I completely understand. We can be in solidarity together over failing to teach our kids out of the phase :) What are some of the things your seven-year-old says?
Hey Tyler!
I'm not sure that this is the best place to recommend another Substack to you, but I couldn't find any other means.
Anyway, I have a friend, Tjabe (pronounced JAYB), who is releasing a sci-fi story one chapter at a time and is looking for people to read it and give him feedback on it. You seem like one that may be well-read in quality literature and may enjoy stories, and I'm sure any observations you had would be very valuable to him. I, for one, have really enjoyed the 3 chapters he's posted so far: they are both funny and quite intriguing.
If you're interested, you can find him at The Noble Theme on Substack.
Thanks for taking the time to read this rather verbose comment!
Oops, the name is "A Noble Theme," by Tjabe Koenen.
Thanks for the recommendation, Eliana! I'll have to give "A Noble Theme" a visit.