diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | $template.html | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | natlang/meruhenchikku.html | 18 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | natlang/meruhenchikku.md | 26 |
3 files changed, 46 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/$template.html b/$template.html index 9eb8665..fe80663 100644 --- a/$template.html +++ b/$template.html @@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ html, body { padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0; - /* Have a fallback to local mononoki for offline pages */ - font-family: mononoki-webfont, mononoki, monospace; + /* Have a fallback to local mononoki for offline pages; include IPAGothic for Japanese text */ + font-family: mononoki-webfont, mononoki, IPAGothic, monospace; font-size: 12pt; } code { diff --git a/natlang/meruhenchikku.html b/natlang/meruhenchikku.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f7fdbd2 --- /dev/null +++ b/natlang/meruhenchikku.html @@ -0,0 +1,18 @@ +<h2>メルヘンチック</h2> +<p>The title is a Japanese word meaning "fairy-tale-like", and can be transcribed as "meruhenchikku". +Notes on pronunciation: both <em>e</em> are roughly the first <em>e</em> in <em><u>e</u>nter</em>; the <em>r</em> is a single-tap "r" as in Spanish "caro"; both <em>u</em> are roughly the stressed sound in English "you" halfway between the initial "i" and the final low "u"; the <em>ch</em> is like an English "ch" but brought closer to "t" while also raising its pitch; and the <em>i</em> is short but with the quality of English "beat", not English "bit". +The double <em>k</em> indicates a small pause.</p> +<p>The etymology of this word is funny. +In German, there is word <em>Märchen</em> that means "fairy-tale"; its adaptation into Japanese phonology became "meruhen" (メルヘン). +The "-chikku" part, however, comes from English.</p> +<h3>English</h3> +<p>There are a number of adjectives ending in <em>-ic</em> in English: romantic, alcoholic, metallic, etc. +These generally come from Latin <em>-icus</em> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-icus#Latin">wiktionary</a>) where English dropped the <em>-us</em>/<em>-um</em> ending as usual. +This originally came from Proto-Indo-European <em>-kos</em> (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-cus#Latin">wiktionary</a>). +Some of the <em>-icus</em> words in Latin happen to have a <em>t</em> in front of it, and hence some English words also do: romantic, galactic, etc.</p> +<p>While <em>-ic</em> is not particularly productive any more in English, it appears in enough words its meaning would be clear if it is added as-is to an existing word. +Adding <em>-tic</em> to a word in English for this purpose would make little sense.</p> +<h3>Japanese</h3> +<p>However, Japanese is not bound by such compunctions and decided that <em>-tic</em> is what the suffix shall be, rendered in Japanese phonology as "chikku" (チック) because they don't naturally have a clean "t", nor a "k" without a following vowel. +Naturally, thus, it makes perfect sense to build the word <em>Märchen-tic</em>, i.e. meruhenchikku: fairy-tale-like.</p> +<p>That's all I had, hope you considered this a good use of 3 minutes of your time.</p> diff --git a/natlang/meruhenchikku.md b/natlang/meruhenchikku.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52b350f --- /dev/null +++ b/natlang/meruhenchikku.md @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +## メルヘンチック + +The title is a Japanese word meaning "fairy-tale-like", and can be transcribed as "meruhenchikku". +Notes on pronunciation: both _e_ are roughly the first _e_ in _<u>e</u>nter_; the _r_ is a single-tap "r" as in Spanish "caro"; both _u_ are roughly the stressed sound in English "you" halfway between the initial "i" and the final low "u"; the _ch_ is like an English "ch" but brought closer to "t" while also raising its pitch; and the _i_ is short but with the quality of English "beat", not English "bit". +The double _k_ indicates a small pause. + +The etymology of this word is funny. +In German, there is word _Märchen_ that means "fairy-tale"; its adaptation into Japanese phonology became "meruhen" (メルヘン). +The "-chikku" part, however, comes from English. + +### English + +There are a number of adjectives ending in _-ic_ in English: romantic, alcoholic, metallic, etc. +These generally come from Latin _-icus_ ([wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-icus#Latin)) where English dropped the _-us_/_-um_ ending as usual. +This originally came from Proto-Indo-European _-kos_ ([wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-cus#Latin)). +Some of the _-icus_ words in Latin happen to have a _t_ in front of it, and hence some English words also do: romantic, galactic, etc. + +While _-ic_ is not particularly productive any more in English, it appears in enough words its meaning would be clear if it is added as-is to an existing word. +Adding _-tic_ to a word in English for this purpose would make little sense. + +### Japanese + +However, Japanese is not bound by such compunctions and decided that _-tic_ is what the suffix shall be, rendered in Japanese phonology as "chikku" (チック) because they don't naturally have a clean "t", nor a "k" without a following vowel. +Naturally, thus, it makes perfect sense to build the word _Märchen-tic_, i.e. meruhenchikku: fairy-tale-like. + +That's all I had, hope you considered this a good use of 3 minutes of your time. |