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November 5 Information
Simple englishlike words - vowels
I've been trying to create a spreadsheet of many simple englishlike words. So far I've got to 1 syllable, 2 letter (C+V) combinations, but I ran into the word "your" and realized I missed a word. Also I think my vowel list might be flawed because of all the other accents:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_pronunciation
What vowels should I use?
Here's my current vowel list:
1. a > cat, can
2. a > car, aw, palm
3. i > kit
4. a > comma, u > strut, plus
5. e > dress
6. oo > foot
7. ee > flee, y > happy
8. oo > goose
9. i > price
10. oi > coin
11. ou > mouth
12. a > face
13. oa > goat
14. o > or
Yes, both links are very helpful! (I actually haven't heard of lexical sets, much of this was modified/based on examples from other articles and sources from the internet.) Thanks. And my purpose was to make a lot smallish "simple" words like "nabe" which may or may not be in English, I guess for fun.
AltoStevTalk18:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
AltoStev -- as a practical matter, it would probably be simpler for practical purposes to treat vowels before "r" as a different system from vowels not before "r", because trying to unify them can be problematic or complicated, at least in some dialects of English...
AnonMoos (
talk)
22:02, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Poor sod
Is "poor sod" (i.e. person who experiences misfortune) gender specific? It sounds masculine to me, but I think it is also a Britishism, so I'm not that well attuned (I'm from US). Is there a comparable term in English that is not gender specific? I thought of
schlimazel but I think that is ethnic slang in places other than New York. Thanks.
2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:D4A (
talk)
20:35, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Um, that doesn't convey the meaning I'm looking for, independently of its gender specificity or lack of it. Thanks though, I guess. Added: Oh hmm, are you "sod" is short for "sodomite"?! That never occurred to me. Interesting, and maybe the term is less polite than I had thought it was.
2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:D4A (
talk)
20:55, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Usually applied to males, though I see no reason for it not to be used of a female. It's not noticeably rude (no more so than damn or blast), nor is it derogatory. It's usually used as an expression of genuine sympathy. I don't think I've ever seen the word "schlimazel" before.
DuncanHill (
talk)
22:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
OED has as a meaning for "sod" "Familiarly or playfully: expressing affection, commiseration, etc., for a person or (less commonly) an animal", and includes a citation to John Masefield in 1911 (The Everlasting Mercy, if you want to look it up).
DuncanHill (
talk)
22:28, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
The Briticism "poor bugger" is close to identical in meaning, and of course also derives from a less-than-polite synonym for one who engages in anal intercourse, but is also equally innocuous in the speech register where they would be used at all. Note however that the terms "Sod off!" and "Bugger off!" are somewhat more inflammatory, though lacking the full force of "F**k off!" for which they are substitutes. [Edited to add: the preceding letter substitution was forced by a filter bot.] {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195}
90.205.225.31 (
talk)
09:48, 6 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a
transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the
current reference desk pages.
November 5 Information
Simple englishlike words - vowels
I've been trying to create a spreadsheet of many simple englishlike words. So far I've got to 1 syllable, 2 letter (C+V) combinations, but I ran into the word "your" and realized I missed a word. Also I think my vowel list might be flawed because of all the other accents:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_pronunciation
What vowels should I use?
Here's my current vowel list:
1. a > cat, can
2. a > car, aw, palm
3. i > kit
4. a > comma, u > strut, plus
5. e > dress
6. oo > foot
7. ee > flee, y > happy
8. oo > goose
9. i > price
10. oi > coin
11. ou > mouth
12. a > face
13. oa > goat
14. o > or
Yes, both links are very helpful! (I actually haven't heard of lexical sets, much of this was modified/based on examples from other articles and sources from the internet.) Thanks. And my purpose was to make a lot smallish "simple" words like "nabe" which may or may not be in English, I guess for fun.
AltoStevTalk18:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
AltoStev -- as a practical matter, it would probably be simpler for practical purposes to treat vowels before "r" as a different system from vowels not before "r", because trying to unify them can be problematic or complicated, at least in some dialects of English...
AnonMoos (
talk)
22:02, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Poor sod
Is "poor sod" (i.e. person who experiences misfortune) gender specific? It sounds masculine to me, but I think it is also a Britishism, so I'm not that well attuned (I'm from US). Is there a comparable term in English that is not gender specific? I thought of
schlimazel but I think that is ethnic slang in places other than New York. Thanks.
2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:D4A (
talk)
20:35, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Um, that doesn't convey the meaning I'm looking for, independently of its gender specificity or lack of it. Thanks though, I guess. Added: Oh hmm, are you "sod" is short for "sodomite"?! That never occurred to me. Interesting, and maybe the term is less polite than I had thought it was.
2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:D4A (
talk)
20:55, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
Usually applied to males, though I see no reason for it not to be used of a female. It's not noticeably rude (no more so than damn or blast), nor is it derogatory. It's usually used as an expression of genuine sympathy. I don't think I've ever seen the word "schlimazel" before.
DuncanHill (
talk)
22:24, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
OED has as a meaning for "sod" "Familiarly or playfully: expressing affection, commiseration, etc., for a person or (less commonly) an animal", and includes a citation to John Masefield in 1911 (The Everlasting Mercy, if you want to look it up).
DuncanHill (
talk)
22:28, 5 November 2021 (UTC)reply
The Briticism "poor bugger" is close to identical in meaning, and of course also derives from a less-than-polite synonym for one who engages in anal intercourse, but is also equally innocuous in the speech register where they would be used at all. Note however that the terms "Sod off!" and "Bugger off!" are somewhat more inflammatory, though lacking the full force of "F**k off!" for which they are substitutes. [Edited to add: the preceding letter substitution was forced by a filter bot.] {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195}
90.205.225.31 (
talk)
09:48, 6 November 2021 (UTC)reply