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A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

September Roll Call 2017


Niniel

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A lot of talk in this sign up thread, which is totally my fault for asking questions. :D 

 

You certainly wouldn't need to use as many letter Us.

 

I´ve learned to write colour etc. Anything else would feel weird. My daughter seems to learn American English in school though. 

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Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst, German Herbst and Scots hairst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns, the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.[14][15]

 

 

I never realized a connection between "herfst" and "harvest". Also funny because the Dutch word for harvest is actually "oogst", which seems very different.

 

You certainly wouldn't need to use as many letter Us.

 

But I like my U's. Except in "armor". But that's because I learned the word from (American-English) video games.

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Also funny because the Dutch word for harvest is actually "oogst", which seems very different.

That sounds very similar to our month August, though it's the last month of summer, not fall.

 

Language is funny. You can never really tell which words have a common root and which are just coincidences unless you study the stuff.

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Also funny because the Dutch word for harvest is actually "oogst", which seems very different.

That sounds very similar to our month August, though it's the last month of summer, not fall.

 

Language is funny. You can never really tell which words have a common root and which are just coincidences unless you study the stuff.

 

 

I looked it up, and it appears that "oogst" indeed comes from the latin "Augustus". Funny, because it was orignally a month named after a person.

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His original name was Octavian. On 16 January 27 BC the Senate gave Octavian the new titles of Augustus and Princeps.[114] Augustus is from the Latin word Augere (meaning to increase) and can be translated as "the illustrious one".

 

So the month of plenty, when the harvest usually came in, was aptly named after the Emperor who's name also meant increase/plenty :)

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Cold + dark = happy Shad; this is the best time of the year

 

Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst, German Herbst and Scots hairst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns, the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.[14][15]

 

The alternative word fall for the season traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, with the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".[16]

 

During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America.

I was going to say it was probably just the Germanic word for it, and yep.

 

We have two words for all kinds of stuff because of that. Usually one takes on a very mild distinction from the other, in ways that don't really alter what you're saying but might make you sound awkward to a native (American) speaker.  "Fall" is by far the most common word and also the most casual word for it.  "Autumn" is more formal.  We actually still use "harvest" too, but it usually implies an event.

 

So like, now that it feels like fall outside we can celebrate the coming of autumn with a harvest festival.  :wacko:

Thanks for the research!

 

Yeah, people say Fall more often than Autumn, but I like the way Autumn sounds, so I use it a lot. I also (I guess subconsciously, because I never thought of it until this thread, but because of the thread, I have given it some consideration) tend to use Fall more like a pronoun for the season and Autumn more like a proper noun. I usually refer to "the Fall," but I call it "Autumn." 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Autumn is almost here on my side of the globe. My question for you is what is the best with autumn? And can anyone tell me why there are two names in English - autumn and fall? 

 

 

 

 

The best thing for me is that it´s getting darker and colder. Then it´s much more accepted to stay inside under a blanket and read all day. :D

 

 

because Americans are weird and refuse to follow the rest of the world

 

and im here

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Autumn is almost here on my side of the globe. My question for you is what is the best with autumn? And can anyone tell me why there are two names in English - autumn and fall?

 

 

 

 

The best thing for me is that it´s getting darker and colder. Then it´s much more accepted to stay inside under a blanket and read all day. :D

 

because Americans are weird and refuse to follow the rest of the world

 

and im here

Yes we are weird. And by no means do we want to follow the rest of the world. (Don't tell anyone I agree with the metric system. Tens are much easier)

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Actually I would argue that a base-12 system would beat a base-10 system, but you'd have to add two new numbers to the system that everyone now uses and then you'd have to relearn basically all of mathematics to fit the base-12 system.

 

Once it'd be finished, however, it would certainly be superior to a base-10 system, simply because it's a much neater base number.

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A yard is three feet, and when have you ever measured a roof out in yards, anyway? I've always cut to inches and increments thereof when framing, building decks, and building retaining walls; I'm sure it's the same for a roof. Even totals are computed in square feet, not yards, but yeah, a yard is three feet.

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But it doesn't work that way. Sure 12 inches equals 1 foot, but a yard is like 3.something stupid feet. Its illogical and a downright turnoff. Especially when working in construction

 

I know, and as long as we have a system that goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 we shouldn't use it. But if we have a system 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, [extra number #1], [extra number #2], 10, then everything should go with 12, which is now written as 10. And the big advantage is that if you, for example, divide this "10" by 3, you get exactly 4, instead of 3.33.

 

Also we should probably stop posting in the roll call.

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