(no subject)

[felis_ultharus]

Every language has some ridiculousness. Like how in English, we "go to the bathroom" in the middle of a desert -- as though English-speakers were all so proper, we can conjure cubicles complete with plumbing in the least likely of circumstances.

In French, though, my favourite category of bizarre are "words for ordinary things that seem to belong more properly to an HP Lovecraft story." Like "mal de mer" ("seasickness," but literally "sea evil"), "fenêtre de guillotine" ("sash window" but actually "guillotine window"), and "nécrologie" ("obituary" but literally "word of the dead").

Of all these, the winner, hands down, is "abat-jour" -- "lampshade."

The "abat" part is from "abattre" -- which once meant "to throw down" but generally means "to slaughter." This is the "abattre" from "abattoir" -- "slaughterhouse."

"Jour" meanwhile, means day, but poetically "daylight" or "dawn." The sense was probably originally "throws down the light" but it now reads more like "That-Which-Slaughters-Daylight."

I picture "That-Which-Slaughters-Daylight" as a twenty-foot-tall hulking demon, horned, bearing a scythe, that could only be summoned at a crossroads on a new moon, with just the right ritual from the Nécrologie. It would also be wearing a lampshade, to remind itself of its humble origins, but it would be a very scary lampshade. Probably something with skulls on it.

Comments

[foi-nefaste.livejournal.com]

Language is fascinating. Abat-jour was always one of my favorites... :)

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

But French has so many of these sayings that sound so wonderfully overblown to an English speaker -- like "Est-ce que tout le monde est lá?" I'd love to be able to get away with saying "Is it that all the world is there?"

I'm sure English has some remarkable expressions to a French speaker, of course.

[foi-nefaste.livejournal.com]

The best ones are the ones that go both ways.

For example, you know the English expression "that's not kosher"? The French version is "C'est pas catholique".

Or "leaving the French way" (outdated, somewhat, but it means leaving in a cowardly fashion) gets translated to "filer 'a l'anglaise".

The cultural evolution of language is fascinating. :)

[veedub.livejournal.com]

perhaps Terry Pratchett's Discworld Death at a drunken party with lampshade on head...

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Still haven't read that series, though my roommate breezed through the whole series last year at a dizzying rate.

[veedub.livejournal.com]

oh, it's wonderful!! you are in for a treat whichever book you start with. my recommendation is Wyrd Sisters first, as Granny is more fully developed than in Equal Rites.

[maidenofirisa.livejournal.com]

French does have some weird words when you think about it. Although some of those have different meanings nowadays.

For example, in everyday conversation, while most people are aware of the origin of the word, "mal" does not mean "evil". Nowadays, the most common meaning of "mal" is pain or hurt. Still it is funny from an etymological point. You can easily see the connection between pain and evil :)

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I know. But then an English speaker notices words like "le bien et le mal" and realize for the first time in their life that all those headaches, toothaches, and stomachaches were pure, unmitigated evil, and suddenly the world makes more sense.

I had a French teacher once who claimed it was a holdover from the days when people thought illnesses were caused by witches or demons. Sort of like how "the flu" in English comes from "influenza," referring to the influence of the stars.

[montrealais.livejournal.com]

Or the King's Evil.

[http://users.livejournal.com/shadowkittykat_/]

Um... I can haz metaquotes?



(please, please let me quote this. it needs to be known.)

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all, and you certainly have my permission.

But does metaquotes have a policy against frequent metaquoting? I was there yesterday, and worry they'll get tired of me quickly.

[http://users.livejournal.com/shadowkittykat_/]

not that I'm aware of...

[linksjournal.livejournal.com]

This, along with the accompanying icon, makes my evening. I now officially have inspiration for sketches on my notes during my next art history lecture...

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I'm always happy to contribute to the cause of good art ^_^

"That-Which-Slaughters-Daylight"

[orangemike.livejournal.com]

Sounds more Lovecraftian (or rather, bad derivative pseudo-Lovecraft in the Robert E. Howard tradition) than Terry Pratchett to me.

Re: "That-Which-Slaughters-Daylight"

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought.