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"Awesome"?

de qwertz, 30 de novembre de 2009

Missatges: 7

Llengua: English

qwertz (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 14.02.12

Hi,

there excist a comment to this karaokeo by Gijom. But what really means "Awesome"? The translation at the Oxford dictionary tells me:

"awesome = respect combined with fear or wonder"

ehm, sorry what? Does the person mean that this is a good or a bad song?

Thanks for advise.

Gbx,

Lunombrulino (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 14.32.04

It's a complement. The person thought it was really good.

qwertz (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 14.44.07

Thanks a lot. rideto.gif

Ironchef (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 15.24.01

As an aside, I am always thinking about how funny English is when it takes words, especially adjectives, and twists their meanings 180° to make emphatic interjections! "Awesome" really does mean "filled with awe" in the sense of being humbled, overpowered or even scared, especially in the religious sense. Yet today, anything "awesome" is actually a good thing, something marvelous and exciting. Recently I heard someone say "It was so hot it was cool!", and I laughed to think how utterly nonsensical that really is, when taken literally.

Donniedillon (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 19.35.13

As an aside, I am always thinking about how funny English is when it takes words, especially adjectives, and twists their meanings 180° to make emphatic interjections!
Another fine example would be the use of the word 'Ill' by hip-hopsters in the 90's. Back then a band could be ill, illin', or even illest. Crazy, eh?

Ironchef (Mostra el perfil) 30 de novembre de 2009 21.13.58

Donniedillon: Another fine example would be the use of the word 'Ill' by hip-hopsters in the 90's. Back then a band could be ill, illin', or even illest. Crazy, eh?
Yes, hip-hop has much to answer for in deviating and reconstructing English grammar. "Badder" and "Baddest" come to mind and recently I keep hearing "Funnest" (even on TV) and cannot wonder what's next...But I suppose the argument that language is fluid and evolving is valid and in 20 years there will be a whole new set of informal forms and these will seem archaic to people of the future.

Question is, we're careful about preserving Esperanto without changes because its very nature relies on it being a standard across all speakers; but do we share that view with other languages? Should English speakers be more concerned about standardization and preservation of idiom? Or should we be happy to see it let loose on the world being used in any which way?

ceigered (Mostra el perfil) 1 de desembre de 2009 8.35.57

Ironchef:I keep hearing "Funnest"
Although in this case I think the root "fun-" is historically quite ambiguous regarding "more" or "-er".

In fact I think the historically correct way would be "-er" for everything, since I think "more", "most" etc are actually -er and -est versions of an old Germanic adjective (can't remember where I read that). Interesting stuff eh.
Should English speakers be more concerned about standardization and preservation of idiom? Or should we be happy to see it let loose on the world being used in any which way?
I personally think that the language should be allowed to evolve provided it keeps its "soul" - which is a bit hard to define I guess. I mean, what makes English, well, English? Probably not "i before e except after c" or any other pointless rule like that, or the "they/he/she" distinction.
Maybe the things that make English what it is include the loose north insular germanic pronunciation with a systematic yet flexible grammar (e.g. retention of -ed, 's, all those things). Once again, interesting topic.

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