N'i-meil interessanti

Osce m'è rriata n'i-meil ca aggiu 'cchiatu mutu interessanti. Parla ti lla lengua inglesi, e ti lla derivazioni ti paroli cu nu processu ca se chiama: "back-formation". No c'entra nienti cu llu salentinu, però eti na bedda curiosità, no?

Which came first, editor or edit? This may sound like a chicken-and-egg question, but it's not. It's easy to assume that the word editorwas formed from the verb edit. In reality, the word editor came first (from Latin edere: to give out). Then we formed the verb edit from it. Words such as babysit, vaccinate, donate, all were derived from their noun forms, not vice versa.

This re-interpretation of a word to coin a new word is called back-formation: devising a word from what appears to be a derivative word.

This re-analysis of words can be in error or in humor, done on purpose. About 110 years ago when British troops were released after a long siege in a town called Mafeking in South Africa. It sparked wild celebrations in Britain. The town name Mafeking was jocularly treated as a gerund and a verb form was coined: to maffick (to celebrate).

The word we now know as cherry was originally cherise (in French it's still called cerise today), but as that seemed to be plural, people erroneously spoke of a cherry when referring to a single fruit.Which came first, editor or edit? This may sound like a chicken-and-egg question, but it's not. It's easy to assume that the word editorwas formed from the verb edit. In reality, the word editor came first (from Latin edere: to give out). Then we formed the verb edit from it. Words such as babysit, vaccinate, donate, all were derived from their noun forms, not vice versa.

This re-interpretation of a word to coin a new word is called back-formation: devising a word from what appears to be a derivative word.

This re-analysis of words can be in error or in humor, done on purpose. About 110 years ago when British troops were released after a long siege in a town called Mafeking in South Africa. It sparked wild celebrations in Britain. The town name Mafeking was jocularly treated as a gerund and a verb form was coined: to maffick (to celebrate).

The word we now know as cherry was originally cherise (in French it's still called cerise today), but as that seemed to be plural, people erroneously spoke of a cherry when referring to a single fruit.