We who speak English have 26 letters at our disposal and an infinite number of ways to arrange those letters.
Why, then, must we call a stringed instrument a mandolin and a kitchen slicer a mandoline? We couldn’t be arsed to create a new word for it?
Not only is it unnecessary to apply the same name to the slicer that already exists for the instrument, but there is potential danger.
*“Hey, toss me my mandolin!”
“Ouch!!! WTF???!!!”*
We should have labeled the mandolin a schmertzer. Problem solved.
There are countless other examples.
mmm
* Please note: I spent a good 20 seconds doing Google Research before posting. I understand they are spelled differently, and I understand that the mandoline got its name because the hand motion used is similar to the motion used when playing the mandolin. Neither of these facts are relevant to my story.*
I’d just like to mention that the mandoline is the most dangerous piece of kitchen equipment ever invented. I love my mandoline but despite being extremely careful when using it, I’ve cut myself a couple of times. A friend of mine once cut himself fairly badly while using a mandoline, while he was explaining how careful you need to be when using one.
I had to look up “mandoline”; I wasn’t familiar with that word. (Since I’ve never needed it before, maybe I can just pretend the word doesn’t exist—problem solved.)
If it’s an English word, the “line” part should be pronounced like “line,” not like “lin.” So, two different words. On the other hand, if it’s not an English word, then don’t blame the English language for it—blame the French.
“English doesn’t borrow from other languages. It mugs them in an alley and riffles their pockets for loose grammar and vocabulary.”
And never mind being careful about naming a bird, a genital organ, a device to stop a spigot, and part of a gun’s lock, and a verb referring to tilting something.
As a native speaker of American English, I’ve always resented that bit about mugging in alleys (allies? mugging our allies?) I like to think we English speakers (in the US anyway) are quite honest and open and fearless about shaking down other languages for phrases and words. No need for back alley shenanigans.
We already have a perfectly good word that means "figuratively", I don’t see why we also use a different word to mean the same thing. And of all the words we could choose, why did we go with*** “literally”***?
I see the potential for confusion and/or idiocy. Ah well, you win some you loose some :D.
You do get that the one thing is named because of the other thing, right? And they used to be spelled exactly the same. And “we” didn’t name either. The French did. So not English stupidity at all.
Although I did learn today that “playing the mandolin” is French slang for female masturbation, so this thread isn’t a total loss.