What nonsensical words do you like to use in your not so everyday speech?

  • idiomaddict@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    There’s a German word, schnabulieren, which, though it has a totally different meaning, occupies the same niche as “to dis’ someone.” If you had to guess when they were from, you’d think the eighties, but it was actually the 15th century. “Schnabul-” comes from “Schnabel,” meaning “beak,” though in this case it’s more like “duckbill”, and basically “izate,” as a suffix. It means to snack, but really it’s more to snarf something. It was invented as a joke, to mix Latin and Germanic roots was considered funny at the time.

    • jarfil@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Medicine still thinks mixing Greek and Latin roots is fun, for example: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.