Thread: Perchance

I occasionally use perchance in writing as well as in conversations when I can squeeze it in. That's just such a great sounding word to begin with.

I also use words like hence, thence, hither, thither. Usually with my nieces and nephews I'll say something like, 'get your butt thitherward and fetch me the remote,' when I'm in a particularly haughty, lord of the manner type mood.

There are plenty of others that I can't remember at the moment. When I read older books and find an interesting word I stash it away in that 'words that will bewilder my kin' file in my mind. It's always great to see their faces contort in confusion when I whip out and use an 'old fashioned' word in the middle of a converstaion.

English is such an amalgamated language, which has such a mongrel, diverse, complex history. Yet, there's a current trend to dumb it down and simplify it, and scrub out all historical connections it has.[/b]

Fo' shizzle!

I've heard some english musician (Steve Howe) use "whilst" quite often and that really kind of got my attention. Unfortunately. using those classic terms sometimes come across as pompous or arrogant to the common person. Because you're wrapping such a term around more contemporary language, it tends to stick out as if it doesn't belong.

When I did essays in lessons I would use words like "context, contrast, , whilst, hence" and other big words. Not because I liked it but because it made me sound really smart and got me higher grades.

I like using letters like 'æ' too. I also seem to have a soft spot for accented letters, like 'ĵ' and 'ň'.

What are the shortcuts for those?
And do you guys no there is another "n" in spanish .. with kind of this ~ on top .. what's the shortcut for it - does anybody know?

Originally Posted by Slight

What are the shortcuts for those?
And do you guys no there is another "n" in spanish .. with kind of this ~ on top .. what's the shortcut for it - does anybody know?
[/b]

At least on my keyboard it's alt + 0241. (I have a list for my Spanish class.) And the ~ is called a tilde.

I use words such as henceforth and perchance, but I also find myself often using words such as ergo, vis á vis (though the accent may be wrong), etc. And even though they're still fairly highly used, I find that not many people use words such as nonetheless or nevertheless. I know there are more like them, but I can remember which ones they are.

I love words.

All this talk of old english made me think of a game I played on another forum. It was based on etymology, word history. Basically a word nerd game that only a hand full of us took part in.
Learned a lot of interesting words and the words that they were derived from, like the splicing and combining of old english, greek, latin, etc., words to make modern words.

Someone would post a word with it's definition and it's etymology. The next person would post a word associated with previously posted word and so on and so forth.

Yeah... it was quite the geek fest but was fun while it lasted. Can't believe I just reminissed about such a thing...

haha

OMG! Word Geek History Thread in Senseless Banter! Do it!

Oh man, any words which may help me get a better grade on a paper is A O K with me. Sounding smart is as good as being smart if i can get an A.

For me I'm not all that concerned with sounding smart when it comes to words. I just like the sound of some words, perchance happens to be one of them. Just like to say it.

A few years ago I had a love for the word Zimbabwe. Just liked the sound of it but where the hell do you use a word like that? The only time I could actually say it was when we were watching Jepardy. My answer for anything geographical was 'What is... Zimbabwe?'

Of course after the love for that word dwindled away there came an episode of Jepardy where the answer really was... 'What is Zimbabwe?' My one time to acutally put the word to use and I missed it.

But anyway... I'm done rambling now.

But anyway... I'm done rambling now.[/b]

hmm... that brings up yet another class of words - those that sound like what they describe. "rambling".

I don't know what it is, but rambling does sound like words just "stubling" all over. I think it's the "-mble" sound. Ramble, stumble, tumble, fumble, crumble....rumble?

Anyway, that and "splash" - but I think splash was one of them words that was descriptive of the sound itself. Kinda like "BOOM".

Ok, I'm done ranting

Originally Posted by Tornado

hmm... that brings up yet another class of words - those that sound like what they describe. "rambling".

I don't know what it is, but rambling does sound like words just "stubling" all over. I think it's the "-mble" sound. Ramble, stumble, tumble, fumble, crumble....rumble?

Anyway, that and "splash" - but I think splash was one of them words that was descriptive of the sound itself. Kinda like "BOOM".

Ok, I'm done ranting
[/b]

on‧o‧mat‧o‧poe‧ia  /ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiə, ‑ˌmɑtə‑/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‑mah-tuh‑] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the formation of a word, as cuckoo or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

BY JOVE.

That's not really old, is it?

I think it's important to use such 'old' words in order to make fluent texts. Few things are worse than repeating the same over and over. I think I maybe use some of these 'archæisms', although it's not because they make me feel smart, but because it makes the text better. I also tend to believe they are still a part of the english language, despite the fact that contemporary pop musicians don't use them!

By the way, if you press ~ followed by n, you get a ñ. At least on my keyboard. Same goes for ´, ^, ¨, and `.

Originally Posted by The

EDIT EDIT EDIT: The "ß" is used a lot in German, too, to represent "ss" in words. That's another useful archæic/foreign symbol English could benefit from. English is such an amalgamated language, which has such a mongrel, diverse, complex history. Yet, there's a current trend to dumb it down and simplify it, and scrub out all historical connections it has. We should cling on to these archæisms instead of whiping them all out!
[/b]

I'm a fan of the efficient and fun s-tzet (ß), too, but unfortunately, you can add that to your list of anachronisms along w/ your list of cool/useful foreign symbols. Several years ago, the German government decided to remove the ß from the official language. They began phasing it out of official gov't documents and discouraging its use in both schools and businesses

As for ñ, it's Alt+164 here (with Num Lock on).

¡ £ø\/3 †œ§ ¡ñ ™¥ ƒåŒ

^^^ ^^^

Took me a while to figure that out...

Originally Posted by Peregrinus

I'm a fan of the efficient and fun s-tzet (ß), too, but unfortunately, you can add that to your list of anachronisms along w/ your list of cool/useful foreign symbols. Several years ago, the German government decided to remove the ß from the official language. They began phasing it out of official gov't documents and discouraging its use in both schools and businesses
[/b]

NO WAY? WHY!?

Originally Posted by Peregrinus

I'm a fan of the efficient and fun s-tzet (ß), too, but unfortunately, you can add that to your list of anachronisms along w/ your list of cool/useful foreign symbols. Several years ago, the German government decided to remove the ß from the official language. They began phasing it out of official gov't documents and discouraging its use in both schools and businesses
[/b]

N๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!

'Prithee', 'knave', 'cur', or 'confound it all!' are some of my favorites.

Originally Posted by Vex

...When I read older books and find an interesting word I stash it away in that 'words that will bewilder my kin' file in my mind...
[/b]

You have one of them, too, huh?

Yessir I do.

Recently, my sister asked if she could come over and visit. I said, "If it behooves you to do so." Silence on her end for a bit and then she replied, "Wtf? Is that some secret way of calling me a cow or something? Speak english dammit." haha

"perchance" isn't all that archaic...

but whatever blows your skirt...

personally i like writing my words with extra u's... favourite... colour... things like that... the u just gives it that extra boost.

Originally Posted by jacobo

personally i like writing my words with extra u's... favourite... colour... things like that... the u just gives it that extra boost.[/b]

That's not an "extra u". That's the PROPER ENGLISH SPELLING!

I congratulate you on converting to the light that is English English, and leaving the dark that is American English.