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Beautiful-sounding words float like gossamer
The Christian Science Monitor ^
| March 26, 2020
| Melissa Mohr, Correspondent
Posted on 04/03/2020 7:46:27 AM PDT by Jagermonster
It turns out that the words that English speakers find pleasing are more like papillon and less like Aschenputtel, according to phonaesthetics.
ome languages have beautiful words for butterfly: papillon (French), mariposa (Spanish), farfalla (Italian). In German, its Schmetterling. Cinderella gets names fit for a princess in these languages, too: Cendrillon (French), Cenerentola (Italian), Cenicienta (Spanish). In German, shes Aschenputtel. I heard these examples recently in a series of viral videos: How German Sounds Compared to Other Languages. The videos imply that German sounds harsh compared with the Romance languages. This got me thinking, what are the most beautiful-sounding words in English?
It turns out that the words that English speakers find pleasing are more like papillon and less like Aschenputtel, according to phonaesthetics, the study of the aesthetic properties of sound. Ideally, phonaesthetics investigates sound irrespective of meaning, though of course in practice that is difficult to do. When classics professor Robert Wolverton surveys his students, he finds that they often rank mother highly, even though, as he says, Its not really a beautiful sound. But, its something that everyone has such a high regard for.
So which patterns turn words into music to our ears? Linguist David Crystal has identified some characteristics. Beautiful words often have three or more syllables, with stress on the first syllable; they are dactylic, like Professor Crystals favorite, tremulous. They frequently have the consonant sounds l, m, s, and n, but almost never contain the zh from casual or the th from think, for example.
Professor Crystal provides an interesting thought experiment to test our preferences. If you were piloting a spaceship toward an alien planet, and you knew nothing about it except that it was populated by aliens known as [
]
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: aschenputtel; papillon
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Definitely NOT a coronavirus thread. Article excerpted per rules. What words do you think are beautiful?
To: Jagermonster
The most beautiful words in English are Lock her up!
2
posted on
04/03/2020 7:49:02 AM PDT
by
Rurudyne
(Standup Philosopher)
To: Rurudyne
The most beautiful words in English are Lock her up!With due respect, they are "They finally locked her up".
3
posted on
04/03/2020 7:50:27 AM PDT
by
1Old Pro
To: Rurudyne
4
posted on
04/03/2020 7:51:17 AM PDT
by
null and void
(By the pricking of my lungs, Something wicked this way comes ...)
To: Jagermonster
"Gorn. Gorn -- it's got a sort of *woody* quality about it. Gorn. Go-o-orn. Much better than 'newspaper' or 'litter bin'."
5
posted on
04/03/2020 7:52:47 AM PDT
by
dfwgator
(Endut! Hoch Hech!)
To: Jagermonster; Gamecock; SaveFerris; PROCON
To: null and void
I agree with melody. Harmony is another.
7
posted on
04/03/2020 7:55:45 AM PDT
by
Lando Lincoln
(But that's just me.)
To: Jagermonster
Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.
8
posted on
04/03/2020 7:58:27 AM PDT
by
Lisbon1940
(No full-term Governors (at the time of election))
To: dfwgator
Posts like yours are the reason Free Republic needs a “Like” button...
9
posted on
04/03/2020 8:02:46 AM PDT
by
Jagermonster
("God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16, NKJV.)
To: Jagermonster; Gamecock; SaveFerris; redshawk
"Cartoons are like gossamer, and one doesn't dissect gossamer."
To: Lisbon1940
Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters.
Stimmt.
11
posted on
04/03/2020 8:04:15 AM PDT
by
Jagermonster
("God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16, NKJV.)
To: Jagermonster
German does have a lot of guttural sounds. The "ich-" and "ach-" especially.
But German is a very precise language, given its ability to pack different words together into one, which combines all the different meanings. Take "wirkschaftswunder" for example, or "weltanschaung". Even our favorite "schadenfreude" ("harm" + "joy"). These kinds of "portmanteau" expressions give German a precision that is beautiful in its own right, even if it occasionally frightens small children.
12
posted on
04/03/2020 8:09:38 AM PDT
by
IronJack
To: Lisbon1940
13
posted on
04/03/2020 8:12:44 AM PDT
by
Mrs. Don-o
(Fertig - Mannlich - Stark)
To: Lisbon1940
14
posted on
04/03/2020 8:22:46 AM PDT
by
IronJack
To: Jagermonster
Let’s do onomatopoeias next.
15
posted on
04/03/2020 8:37:37 AM PDT
by
Auntie Mame
(Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.)
To: Jagermonster
"Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters." "Stimmt."
Auch in den Ohren!
16
posted on
04/03/2020 8:53:24 AM PDT
by
Savage Beast
(There is no limit to the heights of heroism and saintliness to which people can ascend.)
To: dfwgator
To: plain talk; dfwgator
Now, if only one could find some diamonds, some coal, some sulfur......etc
18
posted on
04/03/2020 10:16:21 AM PDT
by
SaveFerris
(Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
To: Jagermonster
I recall an article proclaiming “fawn” to be the most beautiful word in English. I used to prefer “payday” myself but I suspect the criteria might be different.
To: Billthedrill
20
posted on
04/03/2020 11:51:27 AM PDT
by
Jagermonster
("God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16, NKJV.)
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