Messages

1

English & Linguistics / Re: Quotes from work

« on: January 18, 2011, 08:35:09 AM »

... If he had survived, she would have died or else married another.  The movie would have ended with anything but them being married.  Or if they were married, it would have inadvertently brought on horrible consequences.

Heh. I think I recall a funny interview where Jet Li was asked why he keeps on dying in his (mainland) Chinese films, my Google-fu fails me though so you'll have to take my word that it was amusing.

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English & Linguistics / Re: Quotes from work

« on: October 20, 2010, 10:30:43 AM »

It's like a Stargate, or Iconian portal, or Taelon ID.
Pretty handy if you can iron out the bugs ... which could take anywhere from one or two episodes to whole seasons.

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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day

« on: October 14, 2010, 11:12:51 AM »

Sorry, I didn't mean "it depends " all that seriously. I mean yes, I was hinting at different factors such as mainland Chinese vs. overseas Chinese vs. Chinese-Canadian, what it means to know something (whether you know the foreign name for something, the local name, or the scientific definition) and etc. etc. but I didn't intend it to be serious or prompting existentialist musings or anything since I know you didn't mean it 100% literally. I was mostly just goofing around.

I too speak in generalities often anyways, so meh. Sorry.

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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day

« on: October 14, 2010, 09:21:33 AM »

I live in a world where I translate vegetables for people who buy me luo bo gao on a nearly daily basis. I know what I'm talking about.

*shrug* But your assertion is "if you showed a radish or a turnip to a Chinese person they would not know what they are", which is neatly contradicted since I live in a part of the world where Chinese-run supermarkets stock both Western vegetables and Chinese vegetables. Plus, you know, there's me

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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day

« on: October 13, 2010, 04:50:22 PM »

Well, that last bit would depend on a number of things

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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day

« on: October 13, 2010, 02:27:27 PM »

I will note that the Wikipedia article says that daikon is a "R. sativus var. longipinnatus" which is a variety of the species "R. sativus" which is radish.
So it's daikon. It's also radish.

Edit to add: Looking further up. While a radish is the species level name and daikon is a variety of radish, carrot is merely in the same division (angiosperms) as radishes (meaning they aren't in the same order, family, or genus).

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English & Linguistics / Is there a word for that?

« on: February 22, 2010, 01:39:11 PM »

Alternatively, Childkiller reputation

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English & Linguistics / Who started saying /be?????/?

« on: January 28, 2010, 05:37:31 PM »

BB: Thanks.

I don't think I suggested that Dong Jing comes from the Chinese.

Sorry, anyways just take it as a fun fact.

I wonder why Xi'an was called Xijing during the period you specified.

If I had to guess about Xijing, that should be during the warlord period. Maybe a warlord with grand dreams? Some good luck thing? My Google-fu is unhelpful.

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English & Linguistics / Who started saying /be?????/?

« on: January 28, 2010, 02:06:03 PM »

I used to ask Taiwanese people were Xi Jing (Western Capital) was, they always seem to come up with humorous suggestions.

Based on the historical dynasties that have their capitals in each of the cities, I think that Xian would be the best bet.

In fact, Wikipedia notes that it actually was renamed to Xijing from 1930 till 1943.

Additionally, it also notes that Tokyo doesn't get its name as an eastern capital from the Chinese but since a Japanese government moved their capital from a western city (looks like Kyoto), renaming Edo to 'Eastern Capital' after the move.