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Post by Pete on May 26, 2008 20:16:03 GMT
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Post by Dave M on May 27, 2008 12:32:10 GMT
Pointing:
How about when pointing to yourself? I, and most people I know, would indicate that they mean themselves by pointing to the centre of their chest. Did you now that the Cantonese (and possibly other Chinese peoples?) don't do that, but point to (and touch) the end of their nose?
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Post by Rajesh Valluri AKA Raj on May 28, 2008 4:18:27 GMT
How funny are we as Anglophiles!? ( I mean those that love the English language, not necessarily the English people). I asked a perfectly genuine question about third-person references in speech and we are discussing a whole lot more than the original subject.
Incidenatally, I was reading a book not so long ago about the origin of words. It was a very dry read, but there were moments of brilliance when the author explained the origin of a certain words. Babble is one of them, that actually started out as a word for "baby talk", which is because of the sound "ba-ba" that is often made by babies. The word baby itself is derived from the sound, or so claims the author. I have to say, this is one of the best passtimes I discovered in my adult life, hitting this board regularly.
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Post by Pete on May 28, 2008 7:51:15 GMT
I have to say, this is one of the best passtimes I discovered in my adult life, hitting this board regularly. I agree, although there are those who think we should get out more! Have you read any books by David Crystal? I thoroughly enjoyed The Stories of English and How Language Grows.
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Post by Sue M-V on May 28, 2008 12:48:29 GMT
this is one of the best passtimes I discovered in my adult life, hitting this board regularly. I can think of kinder pastimes! I hope you won't hit it too hard. Sue
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Post by Rajesh Valluri AKA Raj on Jun 15, 2008 10:44:20 GMT
I have to say, this is one of the best passtimes I discovered in my adult life, hitting this board regularly. I agree, although there are those who think we should get out more! Have you read any books by David Crystal? I thoroughly enjoyed The Stories of English and How Language Grows. I haven't actually read any of David Crystal's books. The one I was talking about was "the life of a language" by Sol STEINMETZ and Barbara Ann Kipfer. It was pretty good but for the academic nature of such a work. I will try to pick up one Crytal's books soon. Great Ganesha Avatar by the way. I don't get to see many westerner's using his image in a good way.
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Post by Sue M-V on Jun 15, 2008 14:31:32 GMT
I don't get to see many westerner's using his image in a good way. Ouch! This is you hitting the board, is it? I've half a mind to set Ganesha's mouse on you! ;D Sue
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Post by Rajesh Valluri AKA Raj on Jun 16, 2008 11:38:01 GMT
I don't get to see many westerner's using his image in a good way. Ouch! This is you hitting the board, is it? I've half a mind to set Ganesha's mouse on you! ;D Sue Given how much we adored and worshiped Ganesha and his mouse as kids, I think I would be fine in case you set him on me. Ganesha's is the second most popular God for kids in India, next only to the mighty monkey God Hanuman. I've read stories about his picture being used on door mats and toilet seats in England. I am a big proponent of free speech, so I bit my tongue and ignored it, but the Hindu inside me felt pretty outraged. Hence my comment, by no means trying to cause a raucous.
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Post by Dave M on Jun 16, 2008 11:56:17 GMT
Hi, Vallurirajesh
I think you may have misunderstood Sue's comment, which was aimed at the apostrophe in "westerner's". We're rather sensitive, here, to apostrophes in the wrong place! ;D
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Post by Geoff on Jun 16, 2008 12:30:38 GMT
We're rather sensitive, here, to apostrophes in the wrong place! Yes, indeed. Who wants the sackcloth next? My penance for two misused apostrophes is just about finished.
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Post by Paul Doherty on Jun 16, 2008 13:35:07 GMT
I've read stories about his picture being used on door mats and toilet seats in England. I am a big proponent of free speech, so I bit my tongue and ignored it, but the Hindu inside me felt pretty outraged. I think that may be black propaganda, Vallurirajesh. There's certainly plenty of xenophobia and racism here, but it tends to be "undercover", in that it's not acceptable to the majority. In general we try to respectful of other religions, and you don't see intentionally offensive stuff on sale. Also Hinduism is not much known here, so is not usually a target. I'd be very surprised if most people here have even heard of Ganesha.
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Post by Paul Doherty on Jun 16, 2008 13:35:38 GMT
By "here" I mean the UK, of course, not this board!
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Post by Alan Palmer on Jun 16, 2008 14:34:10 GMT
I'll add to Paul's words; I've never seen nor heard of Ganesha's image (or that of Mushika for that matter) being used as you describe. There is a folktale or urban legend that elephants are scared of mice; this is debunked on Ask Yahoo!. It is possible that the pictures mentioned may show some aspect of this myth. I am sure that there is no intentional connection with Ganesha.
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Post by Sue M-V on Jun 16, 2008 15:00:24 GMT
by no means trying to cause a raucous. A raucous what? Or do you mean a ruckus? Sorry - just nitpicking! Like the others who have commented, I have never seen the image of any Hindu god misused in Britain. That's not to say they aren't, but just that I've never seen it. Like the others, I've not really seen images of Hindu gods anywhere except in books and the like - and, briefly, in India. While you're there, Rajesh, would you please answer a question that I can't get out of my head? What is the name of the scary face that people in India (or at least in Tamil Nadu) put up outside their houses, and have images of e.g. on building sites, to warn off evil spirits. I've been told, but to my shame, I've forgotten! Sue
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Post by Pete on Jun 16, 2008 15:36:07 GMT
Thanks for the comments about Ganesha. I was in India on business just over a year ago and I came across the description of him, which just seemed to strike a chord. So I bought a beautiful sunstone statue from the Government-approved crafts shop in Delhi and I wear a tiny silver Ganesha on a chain around my neck.
A tattoo will follow (not the drummed type).
I am neither religious nor superstitious, but I still think he has brought me luck!
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