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# Congratulaaaations
and immolations
I want the world to know that you're making films with bees
Defenestrations
and big fat asians
I'm going to pat your head and cover you in ghee.
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:15, archived)
# defenestration
is a good word. Cant believe there is a specific word for something so uncommon as being thrown through a window...
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:17, archived)
# it's one of mr b3th's favourite words
we learned all about it on a trip to Prague castle.
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:18, archived)
# they loved their defenestrations there
it's one of those words that must've been introduced in order to stop a profession losing its credibility. i imagine a bunch of historians sitting around going "look, we can't go on calling it 'the prague thing where they threw everyone out of the window,' people will think we're idiots"

see also mathematicians and the word "cardioid." it's "heart-shaped" you nerds!
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:35, archived)
# cardioid - I'd never heard that before
that's fab!

I guess that's along the same lines as 'ovoid'
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:40, archived)
# somewhat illogically
fenestration is the arrangement of windows in a building... and not throwing something into a window...
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:21, archived)
# wouldn't that be
infenestration or interfenestration or something?
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:23, archived)
# isnt 'fenetre' french for window?
One of the few things i remember from french at school
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:26, archived)
# it is aye
from Latin fenestra
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:28, archived)
# hey I get to dig out one of my exciting trufax
as a linguist the following interests me, though may not interest others.

Most German words come from a different root to English ones. We get many of ours from Latin.

However, the word 'Window' is completely different to the Latin word 'finestra' - which is where the French get their word 'fenĂȘtre'. But the German word is 'Fenster' - one of the few they get from Latin.

In my warped and miserable world, this is an exciting Trufax.

You may now continue as you were.
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:32, archived)
# aye, this is indeed true
window is Old Norse
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:33, archived)
# ooooo
are you one them there linguaphiles too?

*glees*
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:38, archived)
# Oooh, interesting
Dutch for window = venster

although it's slightly archaic, we use raam more often
(, Thu 23 Apr 2009, 11:45, archived)