When BIG means LITTLE!
@NormanDarlo (1071)
Ireland
October 13, 2018 11:37am CST
I am endlessly fascinated by language. From an early age I remember the pleasure of pulling out an old multi-volume dictionary from my parents' bookcase, and opening a volume at random. Under each word, I was intrigued by the etymology given, and was borne away on my imagination reading about how a word evolved in form and meaning, and got passed from one language to another. The story of language has always been my life's joy!
When visiting Blarney Castle recently, my eyes clapped on this bilingual notice. In Irish, the word for 'little' is normally 'beag', but here, because of the grammatical case, it appears as 'big' so BIG=LITTLE 
PS I'm well used to seeing people's eyes glaze over when I start spouting about this topic, so don't feel obliged to indulge me!
PS I'm well used to seeing people's eyes glaze over when I start spouting about this topic, so don't feel obliged to indulge me!15 people like this
12 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
13 Oct 18
Would it be mean of me to point out that the dot over the 'b' means that it's pronounced more like a soft 'v' than a 'b', so it would sound more like 'vig' to an English ear?
Interesting that both the Irish and the English have seen fit to keep the old French name for the place where one both kept one's best clothes and answered the call of nature!
English itself is not much better. We call the chalk hills in the south 'Downs' and where ever else you live in England, you always go up to Cambridge, which is barely above sea level!
3 people like this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
13 Oct 18
That's not mean at all, as I was talking about the spelling, not the pronunciation. Of course in modern orthography that dot would be represented by a h, which would indeed spoil all the fun 
I guess that 'garderobe' is a Norman-French word, so it makes sense to preserve it in naming a room of a Norman castle, rather than using its evolved form 'wardrobe' which now has quite different signification.
English? It's completely mad 
I guess that 'garderobe' is a Norman-French word, so it makes sense to preserve it in naming a room of a Norman castle, rather than using its evolved form 'wardrobe' which now has quite different signification.
English? It's completely mad 2 people like this
@xFiacre (12595)
• Ireland
13 Oct 18
@normandarlo Fear not (fear meaning fear here, not man) for you are not alone.
3 people like this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
LOL You are so right, Vanny! But I think this kind of thing exists in all languages, except maybe Esperanto!
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
15 Oct 18
@vandana7 No, a linguist with a broad exposure to languages ancient and modern, in a wide variety of language families
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458006)
• Switzerland
14 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo Ancient languages are fascinating, I only studied Latin and Greek.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
@LadyDuck One thing I'm envious of you for, is to speak as your mother tongue a direct descendent of a classical language that has had such a profound influence on modern civilisation!
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
Yes! I learned Latin for four years and Greek for one. But I am also very interested in the Semitic language family, and studied Hebrew, Arabic, ancient Babylonian, and several other related languages at university.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129430)
• Israel
14 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo
ok, since you love languages how many do you know how to speak?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129430)
• Israel
15 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo
So you have been here? When were you here in Jerusalem? I happen to think it is the most beautiful city in the world too but I am biased. I love living in Jerusalem.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
15 Oct 18
@Hannihar You don't need to be biased to think that - it's the simple truth! My mother lived there during the 1980s and 90s. May I ask which part of the city you live in?
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
Hi Hanni! Speaking is just one (albeit very important) aspect of 'knowing' a language. I am comfortable conversing in 3: Dutch and French, besides English. I have a working knowledge of several more.
Hey I see you live in Jerusalem! My favourite city in all the world, although it is now decades since I visited
1 person likes this
@Courage7 (19633)
• United States
14 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo No not early for here Norman. Snow has happened even in June here. Right at the foothills of the Rockies.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
@Courage7 Snow?! Isn't it a little early for that? Yeah, I heard there were a couple of fatalities in Britain.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
14 Oct 18
The study of words and languages can be quite fascinating. I speak 3 languages and wish I could speak more. How many do you speak?
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
I speak three comfortably: French and Dutch, in addition to English. I can get by in a few more. Which are your languages, Hope?
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
14 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo I was born it Italy, so Italian is one language and came to Canada where they speak French and English. I also learned some Sign language. Languages are fun!
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
@1hopefulman That's cool. It's good you learned both of Canada's main languages. I know several Canadians who don't know French at all, despite being taught it in school. Italian is a lovely language. I travel to Italy a couple of times most years, and it's something I look forward to very much!
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
13 Oct 18
I love language although my native language is not English. In my language, it much depends on how you say the words.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
13 Oct 18
Hi Marguicha. Is Spanish your native language? Can you say a little more about "it much depends on how you say the words"?
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
13 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo Spanish is my native language. And body language and tone changes the meaning of words.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
13 Oct 18
@marguicha Body language and tone are elements of all verbal communication. That is why we witness so many misunderstandings in internet communication, when those contextualising factors are stripped away from raw language.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
14 Oct 18
I find it hard to understand big=little.However I am also in the habit of consulting a dictionary.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
15 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo Thanks for explaining it to me ! That is to say they turn out to be English 'big' due to the declension.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
The Irish for small or little is 'beag' which under certain grammatical conditions morphs to 'big'. At least that's how it was written when this sign was made; nowadays, with a revised orthography, it is spelled 'bhig'.
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
14 Oct 18
There are many such seeming contradictions in language, I guess because it evolved organically rather than being designed by a committee. Why does 'inflammable' mean 'flammable' and not 'uninflammable'? 
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
14 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo Yep I need to read it again.
1 person likes this
@stanws (126)
• Stoughton, Massachusetts
13 Oct 18
I, too, am fascinated by language and especially the roots of word parts. I took Latin in high school, and this was my first real taste of the idea of derivation.
Semper ubi sub ubi! ;)
