Rob Watts (RobWords)

It is a facility I shall be making more use of.

Yup. But the key point is the Germans haven't obscured the meaning via a different language.

Yes, I think you might be right. Only struck me (like a cane) afterwards.

This I like to see! Thanks for the dedication, Josh.

NILPFERD – “Nile horse” – hippopotamus NACKTSCHNECKE – “naked snail” – slug FAULTIER – “lazy animal” – sloth GÜRTELTIER – “belt animal” – armadillo SIEBENSCHLÄFER – “seven sleeper” – edible dormouse*, which hibernates for seven months TINTENFISCH – “ink fish” – squid/octopus/cuttlefish ERDMÄNNCHEN – “little earth man” – meerkat FLEDERMAUS – “flutter mouse” – bat SCHILDKRÖTE – “shield toad” – tortoise/turtle EICHHÖRNCHEN – “little oak horn” – squirrel WASCHBÄR – “wash bear” – raccoon, because of the way it cleans itself with its human-like hands. We have raccoons in Berlin.

Some very literal German names for animals.

From my latest newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/robwords...

Wait, what?

From 1586.

I defer to @anthonyetherin.bsky.social on this one. In French, you can sometimes leave the diacritics out IF YOU WRITE IN BLOCK CAPITALS. Loophole?

*Gallivanting, soz.

@colmoregan.bsky.social Colm! I'm excitedly awaiting a copy of Galivanting with Words, but are there any plans for an audiobook? I fear the dorky English voice in my head is going to make a hash of the words.

I flipping want to do this.

HA!

Ouch

Ooh, I like that.

What is the 'haps' in 'perhaps'? The RobWords Newsletter

I've just published another newsletter brimming with wordy nerdy curiosities.

Did you know there's a word for "shaped like a turnip"?

Read the whole thing for free below.

Hey Richard. That is a very smart observation, but I also can't find any evidence of it. It seems guff might come from an old word meaning "blow" like the wind (or hot air).

Excellent nerding.

YouTube video by RobWords Why is a turkey called a turkey?

What’s turkey got to do with the country of Turkey?

Why doesn’t the bird have a Native American name since it’s indigenous to the Americas?

@robwords.bsky.social has your answers in this deep dive into the etymology of the word “turkey”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJJs...

YouTube video by Words Unravelled Is English really a Germanic language?

English has Germanic DNA, but with most of its words having been pilfered from French and Latin, is it still technically a Germanic language?

@jesszafarris.bsky.social and I put that question to bed in the latest episode of Words Unravelled.

youtu.be/DSD_kMu1INk?...

YouTube video by James Lewis Antiques French CHOCOLATE box makes a SWEET sum at AUCTION!

Watching James Lewis pick up charming bits and bobs at a French market is immensely relaxing.
youtu.be/YT-dNGbH0lA?...

Not one I'll forget.

Time well spent.

And Mr. Hieber's newsletter is a must for updates and thoughtful commentary from the world of linguistics. I never miss it. Here:
LinguisticDiscovery.Substack.com

Oh good! What was the problem with the old version?

Words from space The RobWords Newsletter

The first 'satellite' was neither an orbiting space gizmo nor a hunk of cosmic rock.

It was a person.

Read about it in my latest newsletter:

Thank you!

I only just learned about this too.

Yes, it's definitely worth one.

Rob and two beautiful dogs.

This handsome pair interrupted filming this afternoon.

The theme of the video? The origin of the word 'dog'.

Was he a mate of yours?

I reckon in British English we're referring to the genre (as you would "entertainment") and in the States they're referring to the activities themselves in the plural ("Ooh, look at all these sports").