Elusive words
Модератор: zymbronia
- acapnotic
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Have you noticed that the meaning of some words just won't stay in memory, no matter how many times you look it up? One of such for me is 'despicable'. Every time I come across it, I have trouble recalling what exactly it means. Something bad, but what exactly? Just now I had to look it up again to find that out. Very annoying.
Is it because 'spic' interferes with 'speak'? And still I know it's not 'speak' and so I get confused? God only knows.
Is it because 'spic' interferes with 'speak'? And still I know it's not 'speak' and so I get confused? God only knows.
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- acapnotic
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Indeed. I fail to find the logic behind either of them. But it must have stemmed from the proverbial three guesses you are given to try to answer some question. Apparently the second guess is special for some unknown-to-me reason.
- acapnotic
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Which clearly shows how individual this phenomenon is. 'Usher' is привратник or something like that, so the meaning of the verb is clear to me from the noun. Somehow I had no trouble memorizing 'usher', even though the word itself tells me no more than does 'despicable'. Even less, because I know that 'de-' means something negative. If it were 'despectable', then I think I'd have no problem. Respect vs. despect. Clear as day!
After the above came to mind, I suspected ('spect' again) that it was indeed 'despectable' before the bloody Englishmen crippled it to fit their abominable pronunciation habits.
But no (where is Yety when you need him?), it turns out that both 'despise' and 'despicable' derive from the Latin 'despicere', which means look down on/at smb/sth.
So it's probably 'respectable' that is a Frankenstein made up by the bloody Englishmen. Shouldn't it be 'respicable'? I think we should call them out on that and maybe even impose some sanctions.
After the above came to mind, I suspected ('spect' again) that it was indeed 'despectable' before the bloody Englishmen crippled it to fit their abominable pronunciation habits.
But no (where is Yety when you need him?), it turns out that both 'despise' and 'despicable' derive from the Latin 'despicere', which means look down on/at smb/sth.
So it's probably 'respectable' that is a Frankenstein made up by the bloody Englishmen. Shouldn't it be 'respicable'? I think we should call them out on that and maybe even impose some sanctions.
- gavenkoa
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deplore (осуждать/сожалеть) / denounce (обвинять/доносить).
They come from VOA word list which I learned synthetically / without context. I can't associate meaning with them, having two main meanings looks opposite to each other ))
Another: beget, Poverty begets crimes. It also has been learned artificially, without context from VOA ((
Some rare fruits / vegetables: asparagus, artichoke, brussels sprout, celery etc. I haven't seen some of those IRL. It is hard to make sense of them.
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I had difficulties with such words as 'maintain' and 'reveal'. I had always looked them up before I managed to memorize them by their translation and as parts of the collocations, e. g. 'reveal your potential' and 'maintain standards'.
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The difference, I think, is whether you do it publicly or privately. Доносить всем vs. доносить полиции.
There is also the difference between it and 'sustain', which is not always easy to figure out.
Thanks, it's funny. But I think this thread has already solved the problem — it's now very unlikely that I will ever forget what 'despicable' means. :)
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Выстраивайте ассоциации. Слова начинающиеся на de часто носят отрицательный оттенок. Если speak говорить, то despeak вполне можно воспринимать за обзывать.acapnotic пишет: ↑23 мар 2019, 12:07 Have you noticed that the meaning of some words just won't stay in memory, no matter how many times you look it up? One of such for me is 'despicable'. Every time I come across it, I have trouble recalling what exactly it means. Something bad, but what exactly? Just now I had to look it up again to find that out. Very annoying.
Is it because 'spic' interferes with 'speak'? And still I know it's not 'speak' and so I get confused? God only knows.
- acapnotic
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No, that was the secret one (even subconscious, it seems) but not the only. I was curious to know how widely spread the problem is and what kind of words can behave like this.
A bit too sophisticated for simple-minded me. I always prefer straightforward approaches. Look it up. If it doesn't work, look it up again. Repeat until it works or the word stops appearing. :)
- Zlatko_Berrin
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- acapnotic
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You are lucky. I remember reading a thread where native speakers tried to explain the difference. When I finished reading it, I was almost as confused as before I started. :)
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Opt, sorry to remind you (or, maybe, draw your attention to the fact?) that this is the only one of the 30+ other boards, which is English-only - that's the rule, isn't it?
Why not give it a try?
Why not give it a try?
Последний раз редактировалось Mary May 23 мар 2019, 19:35, всего редактировалось 1 раз.
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acapnotic,
mine is definitely 'unfathomable'. I remember the phrase 'the unfathomable look in sb's eyes', but what kind of look was it?.. oh, well...
As for despicable, I associate it with despise = so unpleasant you sort of despise it + the above-mentioned cartoon :)
mine is definitely 'unfathomable'. I remember the phrase 'the unfathomable look in sb's eyes', but what kind of look was it?.. oh, well...
As for despicable, I associate it with despise = so unpleasant you sort of despise it + the above-mentioned cartoon :)
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