12/03/07 [DMFA #849] - Worry's for Another Day

[Damaris]

"I thought it was just a crack in the wall... I was wrong."

Amber- I think Darkmoon needs to upload that clip.

[Darkmoon]

http://www.inverteddungeon.com/Sig/Way_Too_Early_Legal_4.mp3

Yes, that is really Amber's voice in that Legal ID. It was totally ad-libbed.

[Zedd]

Down in Fraggle rock....

[Damaris]

I LOVE that ID.  I think it's on my Ipod right now.

[stiletto]

Fluffy's a she!

...until Amber comes on and says she just didn't think it sounded right calling Fluffy "it." BUt until then, Gleeeeee.

[Darkmoon]

Sorry, yo. Last I heard, you picked the wrong gender to assign the Fluffernator.

[Kenji]

Dear World,
Go Red.
       Love, KK.

[Hellcat]

for some reason I was expecting a twelve days of Christmas countdown....

[Netrogo]

This comic is officially dubbed awesome for containing Red Although Wembly would have been ever better

[xHaZxMaTx]

"Ahh, a bear in his natural habitat - a Studebaker."

Yes, wrong show/movie, I know, but the text under the comic reminded me of it.

[Reaver225]

...that when a new device is created or something happens that a new word is created for it...that the word should be used globally.

This should totally the case. However, it's going to be hard for the majority to convert all of you to speaking in Chinese. 

[Kuari]

Here's to hoping that Amber has had her rabies shots.

[LoneHowler]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys, since I work in a airport I have to know several words to communicate to people about a object
"Leave the cart out side" Stupid look
"Leave the trolley outside" Stupid look
"Leave the thing which you are transporting your luggage on outside" Oh (and usually it's the North Americans that are the ones that don't get it)

[Madmann135]

two things in one day...
First Fluffy's Gender has been said by Amber and two Amber has made 2 Fluffy & amber comics in a row.

[Sid]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys

God yes, I was so going to bring up that example, too. It makes so terribly little sense to import an English word to replace another English word in non-English-speaking countries.

[Valynth]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys

God yes, I was so going to bring up that example, too. It makes so terribly little sense to import an English word to replace another English word in non-English-speaking countries.

To keep people from inventing words is to keep them from being creative and essentially banning the same creativity you've come to enjoy.

"but the word came first yada yada"

So?  What legitimizes their claim to that word?  Another person has every right to make up a word to describe an object as you or anyone else on this planet.  If they didn't, language and writing would not exist, so who would be striking in the movie industry?

[Sid]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys

God yes, I was so going to bring up that example, too. It makes so terribly little sense to import an English word to replace another English word in non-English-speaking countries.

To keep people from inventing words is to keep them from being creative and essentially banning the same creativity you've come to enjoy.

"but the word came first yada yada"

So?  What legitimizes their claim to that word?  Another person has every right to make up a word to describe an object as you or anyone else on this planet.  If they didn't, language and writing would not exist, so who would be striking in the movie industry?

...wha? O___o;;;;;;

Erm, since you're replying to my post, please note that I'm not taking away anybody's right to be creative. I haven't said ANYTHING about keeping people from inventing words. I just noted how silly it for Germans to take an object, get rid of the English word for it and replace it with another existing English word.

That's like English-speaking countries renaming the "kindergarten" to "reiniger" - sure, nobody's stopping them from doing it, and some might call that creative, but it's silly and only leads to confusion once different people meet and assume that since it's a foreign word, the country of the word's origin uses it, too.

I've met multiple Germans who assumed that, since "Handy" is an English word, the people over in the US also call it "Handy".

Seriously, careful with the accusations of banning creativity and (thus in a way) censorship, please.

[rt]

*hums the fraggle rock song*
That song is going to be popping into my head all day now!

[bill]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys, since I work in a airport I have to know several words to communicate to people about a object
"Leave the cart out side" Stupid look
"Leave the trolley outside" Stupid look
"Leave the thing which you are transporting your luggage on outside" Oh (and usually it's the North Americans that are the ones that don't get it)

It's a baggage cart, or hand-truck 

[Sofox]

Regarding the Rant: I completely understand the language gap, in Europe they call cell phones Handys, since I work in a airport I have to know several words to communicate to people about a object

What?!?
In Ireland and England they're called Mobiles.
In France, they're called portables.


Amber, while I respect you're whole "wouldn't it be great to understand eachother" I have to say to some extent I disagree with you. Each culture and language has its own way of going about things, it's own way of phrasing things or putting things. It's part of what gives a language it's identity, its own intangible uniqueness. If a word doesn't "work" in another language, why try to force it? The word in the first place may have connotations to the culture it was first conceived in in the first place, so forcing it into another culture may seem like cultural assimilation.

In any event, most of what you describe happens to some extent anyway. In the Irish language, there's "aerophort" (airport) and "van" for van, even though up to the creation of that word, there was no real "v" in the Irish language("bh" was used instead) which pretty much brings me back to my point above of things not "working" properly in other languages and adding incongruous elements as a result.

[Tapewolf]

Don't get me started on Welsh, which, particularly in the north, is full of English words that have been tweaked to try and make them 'look more Welsh'.

[Amber Williams]

The way I see it, its only cultural assimilation if people are trying to go back and reinvent words that already exist.

It's like the science community.  Someone discovers some wacky-ass bird or new element, they get to name it. And then the rest of the science community will go "ok. Thats what we're going to call it." cause the person got dibs.  Sure odds are it's going to be some godawful latin word or something with the phrase "onium" on it, but it's been more or less agreed that for science purposes, it should have a base name.

The only reason I can assume people would want to change a word that has just came out to something else entirely is because of pride.  Pride in their country, pride in their culture, pride in their language...but to a point that they are removing simple practicality and usefulness for the sake of it.  And Amber's haet when people put their pride before function.

I realize and accept a give in cases where the word is so incompatable, but in my experience those seem like exceptions rather than the rule.

[Valynth]

I pose these simple questions, which will destroy your entire argument.

Which language are we to use?

Who decides what language we are to use?

What will the punishment be for those who refuse to speak the language?

Ideals like this are all alike, they can only be implemented when freedom is destroyed.

[Amber Williams]

I pose these simple questions, which will destroy your entire argument.

Which language are we to use?

None. I'm not saying change an entire language, I'm saying single individual words.  If someone invents a Thimcree, it gets world renown and everyone uses them, I don't see why someone has to create a whole new word to rename it.

Who decides what language we are to use?

I'd assume the person who invented the word.  If Nintendo creates the Wii, and everyone calls it the Wii, then Nintendo decided to name to be used.

What will the punishment be for those who refuse to speak the language?

What is it that people assume that I'm trying to suggest total global conversion of langauges?  I'm not saying people should convert to a single language and give up their previous culture and languages, I'm just saying when new stuff comes along that it is silly to create multiple words in different languages.  If the world has global communications and the ability to speak to people in other countries in the matter of seconds, there is no reason for new names to be made for something that just hits the scene.

Already existing words don't factor into this because that's a given. But for new things that have no actual name in any language, I don't see why the name that comes first by the person/people that create it can't be used globally.

Ideals like this are all alike, they can only be implemented when freedom is destroyed.

That or when people don't actually read what I'm saying and just launch into philosophical mumblings.

Seriously. I'm NOT endorsing a global language.  I realize that is silly. I'm saying that in this day and age, it makes little sense to me why something all-together new and has no name ANYWHERE before, can't have the same name once it hits public.  I don't see why when something completely new comes onto the scene, there is a necessity to create yet another new word to describe the exact same thing.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

What?!?
In Ireland and England they're called Mobiles.
In France, they're called portables.

In NZ they're usually called "cell phones". Australia, I'm not sure, but I can go ask someone...

OTOH, most Kiwis are sufficiently cosmopolitan to pick up on variations in the name fairly rapidly.

[LionHeart]

What?!?
In Ireland and England they're called Mobiles.
In France, they're called portables.

In NZ they're usually called "cell phones". Australia, I'm not sure, but I can go ask someone...

OTOH, most Kiwis are sufficiently cosmopolitan to pick up on variations in the name fairly rapidly.

We call them "mobiles" in Australia.

[Dannysaysnoo]

People in Scotland just call them phones. Mobile is also acceptable, but you get weird looks when you use Cell.

[Valynth]

And what right do you have to say they can't name it what ever the heck they want?  Frankly, they can name a Wii "Bob" for all anyone cares, just so long as Nintendo can still sell it and if the name catches on, people will start using that.

So Amber, what right do you have to stop people from choosing what to name their stuff?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

So Amber, what right do you have to stop people from choosing what to name their stuff?

Did she say that?

No, she did not.

She said "why not use the same name worldwide?" which is -after- it gets named.



... unless you meant each person who has $item gets to name it however they like, which is a recipe for confusion.

[Valynth]

So Amber, what right do you have to stop people from choosing what to name their stuff?

Did she say that?

No, she did not.

She said "why not use the same name worldwide?" which is -after- it gets named.



... unless you meant each person who has $item gets to name it however they like, which is a recipe for confusion.

Indeed I'm saying just that, and the people around the person who gave the device a new name will start using that.  Pretty soon a "nick" name develops and then it's only a couple people short from being a whole new name.  That's how synonyms developed, which are essentially the core of Amber's rant about name unification.  She wants to halt new synonyms from being born!