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had i known that my irrelevant posting about an irrelevant matter (always in terms of concertina-related matters, of course) would call forth such a display of further irrelevant postings (again, in terms of the concertina), i'd have held back my original irrelevant posting on the grounds that it was irrelevant.

We need a thread like this every now and then to blow stuff off. Anyone who doesn't want to read it doesn't have to.

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but how else would we have added a new word to the english language: "BI" as the plural of "BUS". . . . . .allan

 

Well, given that "BUS" is short for "OMNIBUS", the dictionary definition might look like this:

 

om·ni·bus (mn-bs, -bs)

n.

1. A long motor vehicle for passengers; a bus.

2. A printed anthology of the works of one author or of writings on related subjects.

 

adj.

Including or covering many things or classes: an omnibus trade bill.

 

[French, from Latin, for all, dative pl. of omnis]

 

Somehow, the plural "OMNIBI" doesn't sound quite right, though Allan.

 

Chris

 

P.S. What about BI-Focal, BI-Sexual, etc?

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MADGE AND FOLKS: so that's where "busboy" comes from. . . . . .this has been a most enlightening thread. . . . . .have learned the derivation of one word (can't wait to go to a restaurant and tell the guy where he comes from -- JOKING

. . . . .and witnessed the creation of another. . . . . . .ALLAN

Edited by allan atlas
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...can't wait to go to a restaurant and tell the guy where he comes from

Just don't tell him where to go, Allan. ;)

 

Can't help thinking that this topic should be moved to "Teaching and Learning".

 

Regards,

Peter.

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I remember my english teacher reading us a poem that declined omnibus, I can only recall one line now:

"Implit in the Corn and High, vincit omnia motoris bi."

??? I never studied Latin, but according to what I've picked up from others, shouldn't that "bi" rhyme with "flea", and not with "fly"? (Well, you did say "english teacher", not "latin teacher".)

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I remember my english teacher reading us a poem that declined omnibus, I can only recall one line now:

"Implit in the Corn and High, vincit omnia motoris bi."

??? I never studied Latin, but according to what I've picked up from others, shouldn't that "bi" rhyme with "flea", and not with "fly"? (Well, you did say "english teacher", not "latin teacher".)

There are many different pronunciations of Latin, depending upon the context in which it is used. "Traditional English pronuciation of mediaeval Latin", "English legal Latin" or "English biological Latin" would have "bi" rhyming with fly; though most other forms of Latin, including no doubt Danish usages, would have it (approximately) rhyming with flea. The word "vincit" could be pronounced winkit (classical), vinchit (Italianate church latin), vintsit (Germanic church latin) or vinsit (English traditional), and that is without even considering variations that would occur in the pronunciation of the vowels.

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The word "vincit" could be pronounced winkit (classical), vinchit (Italianate church latin), vintsit (Germanic church latin) or vinsit (English traditional), and that is without even considering variations that would occur in the pronunciation of the vowels.

Hence the translation of

Amor Vincit Omnia

is

My wife makes eyes at everyone. :rolleyes:

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The plural of octopus is octopodes, (pronouncing the e long). Every schoolboy knows it's Greek.

 

 

Would that it were so...I never heard a word of Greek until I was in college, taking an archaeology course...we benighted gringos....gringae? ... gringidae?...gringi? who knows! :lol:

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