http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/ language-related musings - one language is never enough / ერთი ენა არასოდეს არაა საკმარისი Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:12:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58226 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:58:38 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58226 Oops! Thanks for the correction, and yes...it was "splinch." Oops! Thanks for the correction, and yes…it was “splinch.”

]]> http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58094 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:15:55 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58094 Minstrel - is certainly sounds like the kind of word you'd find in the Harry Potter books, but isn't, as far as I can tell. The word you're thinking of is <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.langmaker.com/db/Splinch">splinch</a>. Minstrel - is certainly sounds like the kind of word you’d find in the Harry Potter books, but isn’t, as far as I can tell. The word you’re thinking of is splinch.

]]> http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58078 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:01:17 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58078 "Squinch", if I recall, also has a meaning in the Harry Potter series, that's different from any of what you listed--I think it's defined as what happens if you accidentally don't transport ALL of yourself when you teleport from place to place (you end up with a slice of yourself missing when you arrive). I'm pretty sure that's referred to as "squinching" or "squinching yourself." “Squinch”, if I recall, also has a meaning in the Harry Potter series, that’s different from any of what you listed–I think it’s defined as what happens if you accidentally don’t transport ALL of yourself when you teleport from place to place (you end up with a slice of yourself missing when you arrive). I’m pretty sure that’s referred to as “squinching” or “squinching yourself.”

]]> http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58034 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 05:58:55 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58034 I love languages... and got a kick out of the previous post about foreign language isle addiction in book stores... and I also love architecture. I've heard the words 'spandrel' and 'squinch' before... but had no idea what they meant. The illustrations make them clear. There's something very alphabetic about the shapes in architecture. Especially ornate examples. If I'm not mistaken, didn't the Mayans actually base some of their buildings and pottery on glyphs? ... while the Sphynx might be a hieroglyph. I love languages… and got a kick out of the previous post about foreign language isle addiction in book stores… and I also love architecture. I’ve heard the words ’spandrel’ and ’squinch’ before… but had no idea what they meant. The illustrations make them clear. There’s something very alphabetic about the shapes in architecture. Especially ornate examples. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t the Mayans actually base some of their buildings and pottery on glyphs? … while the Sphynx might be a hieroglyph.

]]> http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58032 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:30:30 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2007/08/22/spandrels_and_squinches/#comment-58032 I wouldn't have guessed that both words were from Latin originally. Squinch especially seemed Germanic to me, but came into the Modern English through French and then Middle English, so changed. Spandrel seemed a little bit more Romance. I wouldn’t have guessed that both words were from Latin originally. Squinch especially seemed Germanic to me, but came into the Modern English through French and then Middle English, so changed. Spandrel seemed a little bit more Romance.

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