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Changes in word order=different meaning | ||
Tags: Syntax | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| cmmah Diglot Groupie Ireland Joined 4532 days ago 52 posts - 110 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Irish | Message 1 of 13 10 March 2013 at 10:12pm | IP Logged | ||
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I hate how little space there is to write titles, but what I'm trying to say is: "Slight changes in word order which
completely change the meaning of a phrase". I thought of this example in English today: To see through something = to recognize something (or someone) for what it really is But, to see something through = to ensure that a plan (or a project etc) is carried out fully. Any other examples in other languages? 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| tastyonions Triglot Senior Member United States goo.gl/UIdChYRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4666 days ago 1044 posts - 1823 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: Italian | Message 2 of 13 10 March 2013 at 10:25pm | IP Logged | ||
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In French there is "ancien(ne) [noun]" (e.g. "ancien président"), meaning "former [noun]", and "[noun] ancien(ne)" (e.g. "bâtiment ancien"), meaning "ancient [noun]." Edited by tastyonions on 10 March 2013 at 10:26pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Марк Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 5057 days ago 2096 posts - 2972 votes Speaks: Russian* | Message 3 of 13 11 March 2013 at 11:03am | IP Logged | ||
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Ручка на столе - The pen is on the table
На столе ручка - There is a pen on the table. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Tahl Diglot Newbie United States Joined 4289 days ago 26 posts - 44 votes Speaks: English*, Welsh Studies: Spanish, Finnish | Message 4 of 13 11 March 2013 at 1:55pm | IP Logged | ||
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In Welsh,
gwahanol gŵn = different dogs cŵn gwahanol = various dogs These are the same words; putting the adjective in front causes the grammatical 'mutation' (change) of the first letter in the noun. Edited by Tahl on 12 March 2013 at 2:09pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| napoleon Tetraglot Senior Member India Joined 5017 days ago 543 posts - 874 votes Speaks: Bengali*, English, Hindi, Urdu Studies: French, Arabic (Written) | Message 5 of 13 11 March 2013 at 2:13pm | IP Logged | ||
Then there's also: Un seul homme(a single man) Un homme seul(a man alone) Edited by napoleon on 11 March 2013 at 3:40pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| htdavidht Diglot Groupie United States Joined 4624 days ago 68 posts - 121 votes Speaks: Spanish*, English Studies: French | Message 6 of 13 11 March 2013 at 2:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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Spanish
This is a very common format of jokes usually start with the phrase "no es lo mismo" (It is not the same...) Usually the punch on the joke is to twist something totally innocent into something naughty, so most of the examples show that, I going to try to keep this post as clean as possible. My favorite one is this one: No es lo mismo decir me baño en el rio que me rio en el baño. (It is not the same to say I bath on the river than I laugh on the bathroom) Here a website with a collection of this jokes, I made a selection from there and add translations: No es lo mismo decir la vecina de arriba que arriba de la vecina. (It is not the same to say, the lady on the top floor than on top of the lady on the floor.) This is a very loose translation, I am trying to construct the joke on English. No es lo mismo decir, tener un hambre atroz, que tener un hombre atrás. (It is not the same to say, to be really hungry than to have a man on the behind.) No es lo mismo decir me meto a un baño turco que un turco te la meta en el baño. (It is not the same to say, I am getting into a turkish bath than a turkish is getting into you in the bath) From all the translations, this one actually looks like an usable joke. No es lo mismo decir huevos de pescado, que pescado de los huevos. (It is not the same to say, fish eggs than fished/grabbed by the the eggs) Edited by htdavidht on 11 March 2013 at 2:47pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| schoenewaelder Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5561 days ago 759 posts - 1197 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 7 of 13 11 March 2013 at 3:07pm | IP Logged | ||
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Famous German examples
- Ich umfahre dich. I drive round around you - Ich fahre dich um. I run you over and kill you. - ich werde dich umfahren. I'm going to drive round you, or possibly run you over and kill you. (You can distinguish them in spoken language by whether the stress is on "um" or "fahren", but I would still be a little nervous). Not quite the same, but I'm reminded, becauase it's the same in German but I always forget which way round things are. - overlook (in sense of "neglect") - oversee have almost opposite meanings 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Darklight1216 Diglot Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5101 days ago 411 posts - 639 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: German | Message 8 of 13 11 March 2013 at 3:41pm | IP Logged | ||
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French has alot of little things that make a big difference. Unfortunately I don't know them all (which probably indicates that I say alot of weird things unknowingly).
C'est un brave homme - He is a good man. C'est un homme brave - He is a brave man. Le tour = trick (and other things I think) La tour= tower Edited by Darklight1216 on 11 March 2013 at 3:42pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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