h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ictoan, the Latin roots of both words are different; cover comes from cooperire (to cover completely) and recover comes from recuperare (to regain). However, the French, for reasons known only to themselves', took the meaning of recuperare and spelled it recoverer. Thus we get the two English verbs recuperate and recover for the price of one Latin one.

Cooperire - To Cover

So is that why a Cooper is the person who makes barrels?


I did read something earlier saying that people from Stockport are stopfordians as well.

The similarity, even in Latin, is coincidental. Cooper comes from the Latin cupa, meaning barrel, itself derived from the PIE sound kaup, which applied to a round container. As a result, most languages feature one or more words meaning head or cup which are derived from kaup.

So a cupa would be a rather large measure then

W

Daisy my tandem!

Thanks to Aljiis (close enough?) we can all see that the leaf and petal arrangement are like no known daisy. Granted they are not an exact replication of a sunflower's but that's just artistic licence.

Next thing, you'll be saying that the Soup Dragon served stew.

Rather puny sunflower, and daisies are considered weeds (not by me; I go in for "wildflower gardening". And sunflowers have black faces and...
What I'm looking for is more words ending in -algia. Don't send me to any more notalgic sites. I'm spending too much time here already.

Sorry - here's a ) to insert in the right place

One of Biggles' friends is "Algyer" than the other one.

Wand'rin, you've already found another word ending in -algia yourself: notalgia means back pain. Algia means pain so there are hundreds of medical terms which end in it: just get a technical name for a body part and stick algia after it. Proctalgia, for example, is quite literally a pain in the arse.

Mycroft, as you will no dount know, this process of 'dual derivation' is quite widespread and is one of the reasons why the English language is so big. I find it particularly interesting where they acquire different nuances (as in recuperate and recover). Regal and royal is a prime example.

Actually you're right.

Regals cost about £4.25 for 20 whereas you can get a pack of Royals for about £3.75

That seems improbable.
You can't get an MP for that price, allegedly.

I have an email from a student who wants me to explain the phrase " a sworn brother". I know what I think it means, but I thought the rest of you might like to kick it around a bit. And do any of you still use the term "forsworn"?

No. (Actually I'm trying to remember what it means) Does it mean something that was meant to happen anyway?

I am amazed that the latest topic has brought so many old friends back in to actively participate. all round for plaguesville (thank you for coming to the rescue), manolan, Livzy (not sure if he's been around here actively before, but always welcome with his Welsh humour) and everyone else. What the hell - if it's later in the day in your time zone, make that a all round.

(I have a Smirnoff Ice for Nikki in the fridge)

I assume the French Mycroft quotes in his explanation of the two origins of "recover" are a few centuries old, as the present day French word is "recouvrir" (our favourite conjugation, so pleasingly irregular) Please explain PIE - Popular Indigenous English? Post Icenic English? Purely Invented English? Particularly Ilford English?

Will manolan please advise me further on royal and regal.

Is it that Royal means truly royal, of Royalty, actually royal, in a royal manner, by royal hand or decree...
while regal is royal-like, pertaining to royal or merely near-royal or pretending to royal, possibly in a delusional way.
Is it correct that royal derives from the french word for king and regal from the same source as regent, a 'temporary/replacement/stand-in' that only 'represents' the royal.
The former refers to the truth of bloodlines and customs while the latter to artiface and trappings.

Canada's once Royal Mail is now merely Canada Post/Postes Canada and is not even regal anymore. Pop stars, athletes and fauna adorn the stamps. The Royals are removed.

peace
~jwf~

Wand'rin, a sworn brother is simply someone who has sworn an oath of brotherhood, and is therefore bound to engage in acts of derring-do, vengeance, etc should the need arise.

I don't use forsworn much, but in common with much of Western society, forswearing is an activity I spend less and less time engaging in.

TC, PIE is Proto-Indo-European, the reconstructed source for most of the languages between London and Kabul.

TC,

Mycroft's:
"I don't use forsworn much, but in common with much of Western society, forswearing is an activity I spend less and less time engaging in." is obviously true of himself (otherwise he would not have said it) and observation supports the remainder of his assertion, but it may not help you much.
I had only known "forswear" as renounce = swear to do without, but it seems that it also means to swear falsely, particularly perjure oneself. So, thanks for increasing the sum of my knowledge.

~JWF~,
My brain is hurting. I hope that someone else tackles that before I try.

I'd say you are correct jwf (if I understand) in that royal tends to apply to someone or something that is, while regal just acts like it is. Its not exactly a very strong difference, but I would normally say that my mum waved regally, rather than royally, as, unless she is being very quiet about it, my mother is not the member of any royal family.

Sorry didn't mean to do anybody's head in ..was just streamin' associations of the Roy- and Reg- words as they came by.

But now's I've had a good think about it myownself, I put it to you that Reg- has indeed gotten the 'short' end of the stick from Roy-.

Royal, the Royals, and Royalty are about as far as Roy- goes and thereby avoids getting into trouble. But the Reggies aren't quite so posh or qualified or reserved as the Roys.

There are unsavoury derivants like Regicide (there being no Roycides I'm aware of) and Regent (a replacement) and Regency (a tasteless period of furniture and decor) and Regiment (a large anonymous body inclined to being a regimented kinda regime) and of course Regulations which nobody likes and Registration which is a time consuming, hand cramping, repetitive pain in the royal...
Oh!
jwf