The humour of similar-sounding words

[TaylorS]

I disagree. The latter is much more readable to me, because I instantly can interpret ‹aa oe a› (which are not common vowel clusters in Swedish orthography) as replacements for ‹å ä ö›, while just using ‹a a o› gives me the wrong pronunciation in my head, definitely helping me stumble on things.

Well, the second one gives me the pronunciation of a mongoloid right after dental surgery.

Swedes still call people with Down's Syndrome "Mongoloids"?

*shakes head is shame*

[Shrdlu]

Calling someone "cp" is also very common.

[Risla]

Apparently the first word in "read (a book)" in Malagasy sounds remarkably like "fuck you," as I discovered in my field methods class. Could not stop giggling, especially since most of the rest of the class didn't get it and kept reeliciting it.

[Skomakar'n]

I disagree. The latter is much more readable to me, because I instantly can interpret ‹aa oe a› (which are not common vowel clusters in Swedish orthography) as replacements for ‹å ä ö›, while just using ‹a a o› gives me the wrong pronunciation in my head, definitely helping me stumble on things.

Well, the second one gives me the pronunciation of a mongoloid right after dental surgery.

Swedes still call people with Down's Syndrome "Mongoloids"?

*shakes head is shame*

Neither I nor my friends feel the need to use such words for derogatory purposes (that's just bad taste), and so we feel no need to shorten them or coin slang terms for them.

My sister does it a lot, though, and I flinch every time. I really disapprove of it.

[Shrdlu]

It is hopefully a dying trend, contrary to what it was when I grew up.

[----]

I just remembered that Vietnamese has tons of these. các [kɑːk˦˥], Đức [ɗɨk˦˥] and sứt [ʂɨt˦˥] are some pretty nice words to be saying around your English-speaking friends.

[Rui]

I just remembered that Vietnamese has tons of these. các [kɑːk˦˥], Đức [ɗɨk˦˥] and sứt [ʂɨt˦˥] are some pretty nice words to be saying around your English-speaking friends.

and Phuc Yu

[Ulrike Meinhof]

Well, the second one gives me the pronunciation of a mongoloid right after dental surgery.

Swedes still call people with Down's Syndrome "Mongoloids"?

I tried to use "Down's syndrome", but I couldn't find a simple noun based on it, so I had to resort to the second best alternative.

[Skomakar'n]

Well, the second one gives me the pronunciation of a mongoloid right after dental surgery.

Swedes still call people with Down's Syndrome "Mongoloids"?

I tried to use "Down's syndrome", but I couldn't find a simple noun based on it, so I had to resort to the second best alternative.

I think he refers to the fact that the slang term 'downie' is probably quite common these days, very much like 'aspie' and others.

[----]

I just remembered that Vietnamese has tons of these. các [kɑːk˦˥], Đức [ɗɨk˦˥] and sứt [ʂɨt˦˥] are some pretty nice words to be saying around your English-speaking friends.

and Phuc Yu

Except Vietnamese doesn't have <y> at the beginning of words, so I'm not sure what language that is

[Astraios]

Except Vietnamese doesn't have <y> at the beginning of words, so I'm not sure what language that is

Yêu?

[----]

oops
I'm just going to put that on the "I just woke up and had no idea what I was talking about" list

[Astraios]

Em yêu anh is still literally the only Vietnamese I know.

[----]

That's only correct with male-female relationships. I'm not really sure which pronouns you'd use for homosexual relationships, but in that context 'em' refers specifically to a woman.

[Astraios]

Homophobic language is homophobic. xD

[----]

Not really, you can refer to people/yourself directly by name in all persons, and in fact it's apparently quite common in informal situations, so that works.

[Astraios]

But I want a pronoun!

[----]

Well I don't know which one is supposed to be used, you'll have to look elsewhere to find that

[Skomakar'n]

Stumbled over another URL using ‹oe› rather than ‹o› today! Happy Sko.

http://www.kokaihop.se/recept/grahamsgroet

[Zwap]

I think it's pretty funny how German has the farewell 'tschüss', since Swedish and Norwegian have 'kyss' ('kiss') which can also be used as a farewell, but most probably as an affectionate one (even though I know people who started using it everywhere, jokingly, a few years ago, and now it's not even anything they think of anymore, so it's not in a joking manner; it's been watered down to just a regular farewell). It's usually reserved for phone calls and chats, I guess, though.

You forgot to mention that 'kiss' in Swedish means 'pee'.
Also I have to agree with you that <ae oe aa> is much easier to read than <a o a>, even though I have no experience with the languages that use it. In fact, if I ever have to write Swedish on a keyboard without åäö I think I will use that system.

[Herr Dunkel]

Shit - Sheet


Plain and simple

[Skomakar'n]

I just came up with a nice one in Swedish with three homophones with different spelling (and they're all with the SWEDISH SOUND >:3).

Du stjäl min själ utan skäl!
You're stealing my soul for no reason!
2PS.NOM steal.PRES 1PS.POSS.SING.C soul without reason
/dʉː ɧɛːl mɪn ɧɛːl ʉːtan ɧɛːl/ (I think this is correct for standard Swedish?)

[clawgrip]

The number 8 in Burmese is 'shit'.

Also, the Japanese proper noun 'Takeshita' has an unfortunate interpretation when written out in the Roman alphabet.

[Torco]

this may be a bit meta, but pun in my dialect is an endearing way to refer to farts.

[installer_swan]

This thread makes me want to post a couplet by Khusrow. I also get to practice using the Leipzig Glossing Rules

رفتم به تماشا به کناری جویی دیدم به لب آب زن هندویی
گفتم صنما بهای زلفت چه بود فریاد برآورد که در در مویی
raftam beh tama:sha: beh kena:reye ju:yi: di:dam beh lab-e a:b zan-e hendu:yi:
goftam sanama: baha:ye zolfat cheh bud fariya:d bara:ward keh (dar dar mu:yi: | dur dur moye: )

Code: Select all

رفت-م        به                تماشا         به            کنار-ی              جو-یی
INDEF-river==POSS==INDEF-shore       to.LOC    (watch a) Spectacle   to.PURP   1SG-Go.PAST

دید-م     به       لب               آب       زن          هندویی
Indian-INDEF    woman    DEF-water==POSS==shore    by     1SG-see-PAST

گفت-م            صنما        بها-ی            زلف-ت       چه           بود
is-3SG-PAST   what     2SG.POSS-curl    POSS-cost    darling-VOC     1SG-speak.PAST

فریاد برآورد     که         در در      مو-یی 
DAT-hair   pearl-REDUPL  that   3SG.shout.PAST
ABL-1SG    away-IMPER-REDUPL

More idiomatically, (excuse my lack of any poetic sensibilities)

I went by to watch the sights of the riverside, I saw by the water a maiden from an Indian land,
I asked her, O darling, how much for a lock of your hair, she shouted back a pearl for each strand

OR

I went by to watch the sights of the riverside, I saw by the water a maiden who seemed to be Indian
I asked her, O darling, how much for a lock of your hair, she shouted back Avast! Away you Ruffian

The pun arises partly from the Perso-Arabic script's flexibility with short vowels, but it's pretty good as far