zilch: So we should cut religion some slack-

E.T: Are you sure you would want to do that now when christian fanatics are doing/wanting to do more damage than ever in last decades.

I meant we should cut the good religious people some slack.  You know who you are.

Thanks, Les… now I got that heat.
Now could you send those thunderstorms? I wouldn’t want to suffer this hot (28C) weather if there is’t any interesting results from it.

So we should cut religion some slack-

Are you sure you would want to do that now when christian fanatics are doing/wanting to do more damage than ever in last decades.

Oh?  Just off the top of my head: Hungarian “ember

The word ‘cat’ comes from that sound you make when one of their hairs gets into your food, and then sticks in the back of your throat.

Well, nowiser, that would go along with the physiological theory of word origins.  Or maybe the pharyngeal?

Geez.  I don’t know why I even bother to hang out with you unwashed illiterates.

It’s our animal magnetism…

(tomorrow, I’ll make pithy observations on the etymology of cucumber.

If you really carrot, you wouldn’t lettuce wait.

The historic flow of people, material, and practices more accurately reveals the source of this or that word, then the history of the related languages.

rob- suum cuique, but why should we believe that?

Thus, early words for humans (ima, etc.) are alike across humanity

Oh?  Just off the top of my head: Hungarian “ember” and Innuit “inuk” don’t sound much like “human” to me.  Check out my link about accidental relationships.

Etymology is exponentially less and less useful the older the word.  It’s a guess based upon, primarily, examing languages themselves.  I like a better study method, and i guess that’s my point.

The historic flow of people, material, and practices more accurately reveals the source of this or that word, then the history of the related languages.

Re the brain and language…
Within neurolinguistics there is a growing theory that certain, early-adopted words heavily rely upon the innate syntactic structure of the brain’s left-half language centre.  Then, as we acquire our first language and absorb experiences that language center (circa the sylvian fold) becomes physically different in structure than, say, those who know a different language from a more peaceful/warring section of the globe.  Thus, early words for humans (ima, etc.) are alike across humanity, and later words (dictionary) are unalike between disconnected languages.

It’s actually a fairly active area of research from what i remember over the years, and not something places like MIT and others so easily dismiss as you might think.

rob@egoz.org

Interesting stuff, rob, but I was wondering if anyone could document the etymology of “cat

Thanks, Les.  While we’re sort of on the subject of cats, here’s a nice ditty:

Felus Catus is your taxonomic nomenclature.
  An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature.
  Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
  Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.

  I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations.
  A singular development of cat communications.
  That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
  For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.

  A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents.
  You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
  And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
  It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotions.

  Oh Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
  Connote a fairly well developed cognitive array.
  And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
  I none the less consider you a true and valued friend.

  Ode to Spot by Lt. Commander Data

I found this, via pharyngula, on a great site about feline evolution.

Not a problem. Done. I also took the word “sex” out of the blacklist for the time being. Though I may put it back in and end up whitelisting sussex instead depending on how much crap gets through.

Thanks, Les, but I forgot to put the “www.” in front of “sussex”.  Could you be a dear and do that for me?  Thanks, cheers, zilch

Sussex isn’t blacklisted, but Sex probably is. I’ll check the blacklist and fix it.