Re: Staying Alive is Not Enough -4-

MurielB Lun 19 Oct - 21:38

Very positive thought. Is there an intelligent design ?

gerardM Mar 20 Oct - 15:20

gerardM Mar 20 Oct - 15:27

gerardM Mar 20 Oct - 17:07

MurielB Mar 20 Oct - 21:34

Don't stoop to their level

I I don't use "stoop" much. It means :

1. To bend forward and down from the waist or the middle of the back: had to stoop in order to fit into the cave.

2. To stand or walk, especially habitually, with the head and upper back bent forward.

3.
a. To lower or debase oneself: I wouldn't stoop to such behavior.

b. To descend from a superior social position; condescend: Would the prince stoop to have a meal with peasants?

4. To swoop down, as a bird in pursuing its prey.

v.tr.
1. To bend (oneself, the head, or the body) forward and down.

2. To debase; humble: stooped himself to such disgraceful acts.

n.
1. The act of stooping.

2. A forward bending of the head and upper back, especially when habitual: walked with a stoop.

3. An act of self-abasement or condescension.

4. A descent, as of a bird of prey.

gerardM Mar 20 Oct - 21:56

Hi Muriel,

Thanks for your list.

I notice the similarity of the words "woop" and "stoop".
It's not the first time that I notice such properties of very close words in the meaning as well as in the spelling. For instance slim, thin, slight, light...
I don't know about French but we have this in other languages as well.
I remember a German teacher who drew my attention on a group of consonants that had such properties (same nuances in lots of words) bt I'm very sorry not to remember details.

MurielB Mer 21 Oct - 19:10

Gérard it's a bit like "bounce, bound, rebound jounce "isn't it ?

gerardM Jeu 22 Oct - 15:00

Yes, exactly Muriel.
When people have to create a new word, it's quite natural to refer to others of the same "family".
I don't have examples in mind in languages other than English but I heard about them in Dutch and German (as I wrote it).
As I learned French from my mother, I can't notice these cases; such words were learned and considered as completely different and I'd have to think to discover the links.

gerardM Jeu 22 Oct - 15:02

MurielB Jeu 22 Oct - 21:54

Hi Gérard, everyone !
This is a very interesting picture. Self-education is the process or practice of learning a subject without a teacher. It means that you can learn whatever you like. The impulse lying in the desire of broadening your mind and becoming more intelligent.