Comments on: Do you ‘cuss’ your stars when you go ‘bust’? http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/ Academic insights for the thinking world. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:35:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: OUPblog » Blog Archive » Monthly etymology gleanings, part 1, September http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/#comment-295930 OUPblog » Blog Archive » Monthly etymology gleanings, part 1, September Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:31:48 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=28496#comment-295930 [...] example, I meant to say that the fish name bass was for a long time pronounced as base (which is true) but wrote that it is [...] [...] example, I meant to say that the fish name bass was for a long time pronounced as base (which is true) but wrote that it is [...]

]]> By: Craig http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/#comment-291869 Craig Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:11:12 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=28496#comment-291869 I'm as confused as Tom. A bass bass in a barberfish quartet does not sound as redundant as it looks. I’m as confused as Tom. A bass bass in a barberfish quartet does not sound as redundant as it looks.

]]> By: Jan Freeman http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/#comment-291673 Jan Freeman Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:18:57 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=28496#comment-291673 Actually, in Massachusetts it's also Worcester, not Worchester. (I don't know about Georgia.) Actually, in Massachusetts it’s also Worcester, not Worchester. (I don’t know about Georgia.)

]]> By: John Cowan http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/#comment-291553 John Cowan Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:10:09 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=28496#comment-291553 What makes this "early loss of /r/", as it is called, different from the general loss is that the /r/ just disappeared rather than creating a long vowel or centering diphthong. It normally happens before the dentals /t/, /d/, and /s/, and was never a universal sound-change; it has been lost from many words that once had it. Some other examples are <i>passel</i> 'large amount' < <i>parcel</i>, <i>gal</i> < <i>girl</i>, <i>palsy</i> ultimately from <i>paralysis</i>, and many more that are archaic, like <i>skasely</i> < <i>scarcely</i>, <i>hoss</i> < <i>horse</i>, <i>podner</i> < <i>partner</i>, and <i>dasn't</i> < <i>darest not</i>. The <i>moss-troopers</i>, who were 17th-century Scottish bandits, were to be found in the marsh rather than the moss; likewise with the placename <i>Masefeld</i> in England (a battle was fought there in the marshes in Anglo-Saxon times). <i>Parsnip</i> is a hypercorrection of this loss; its Middle English ancestor was <i>pasnepe</i> with no /r/. But the most prominent example is <i>ass</i> from <i>arse</i>. What makes this “early loss of /r/”, as it is called, different from the general loss is that the /r/ just disappeared rather than creating a long vowel or centering diphthong. It normally happens before the dentals /t/, /d/, and /s/, and was never a universal sound-change; it has been lost from many words that once had it.

Some other examples are passel ‘large amount’ < parcel, gal < girl, palsy ultimately from paralysis, and many more that are archaic, like skasely < scarcely, hoss < horse, podner < partner, and dasn’t < darest not. The moss-troopers, who were 17th-century Scottish bandits, were to be found in the marsh rather than the moss; likewise with the placename Masefeld in England (a battle was fought there in the marshes in Anglo-Saxon times). Parsnip is a hypercorrection of this loss; its Middle English ancestor was pasnepe with no /r/.

But the most prominent example is ass from arse.

]]> By: Tom http://blog.oup.com/2012/09/word-origin-cuss-curse-bust-burst-etymology/#comment-291475 Tom Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:21:15 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=28496#comment-291475 Am I confused? Bass, the fish, like the rock does rhyme with lass. Am I confused? Bass, the fish, like the rock does rhyme with lass.

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