A New Definition for an Old Word

[gnomi]

coward: In the direction of the cow.

(coined during a conversation with beckyfeld this morning)

(one might argue for "cowward," but English does not typically repeat W like that)

(I'm think-y and process-y today... beware the potential for the appearance of Posty McPostalot)

(and, yes, cbpotts, I'm allowed to be process-y, since I finished something.)

(oh, and mabfan reminded me that Lady Slings the Booze is the sequel to Callahan's Lady, which is what I couldn't remember last night.)

(I seem to have spent wildly at a parenthesis sale.)

Comments

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

So -- if we have coward being "in the direction of the cow" it follows that there must be a connection between things bovine and an act that is less than brave.

Perhaps with roots in cows stampeding away from loud noises, etc?

Is this a new definition of an old word, or an invitation to explore the entymology and discover that perhaps you have reverse engineered your way back to the beginning?

*Sets timer to see how quickly you go for the OED*

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Alas, my OED is at home and I don't have a subscription to the online one.

Actually, I was completely wrong

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

coward
c.1225, from O.Fr. coart, from coe "tail," from L. coda, dialectal variant of cauda "tail," of uncertain origin + -ard, an agent noun suffix (denoting "one who does"). The word probably reflects an animal metaphoric sense still found in expressions like turning tail and tail between legs. Coart was the name of the hare in O.Fr. versions of "Reynard the Fox." As a surname (attested from 1255) it represents O.E. cuhyrde "cow-herd."
"Cowardice, as distinguished from panic, is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend the functioning of the imagination." [Ernest Hemingway, "Men at War," 1942]
An O.E. word for "cowardly" was earg, which also meant "slothful

[ozarque.livejournal.com]

Because going toward a cow is something I'm terrified of, your new definition for "coward" delights me. I am too much of a coward to be willing to go coward, you perceive. I'm also delighted by the coincidence that makes the coining possible. English doesn't have words spelled "horseward" or "pigward" or "bearward" or [vamp till ready] available that would let analogous coinings happen.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

One of the main forces that drew me toward linguistics when I was younger was the wordplay that my family engages in frequently. It's a delight when English seems just built for this sort of coinage.

[tygerseye.livejournal.com]

(one might argue for "cowward," but English does not typically repeat W like that)

I would argue this point. In sailing we say "leeward", meaning to the lee side, and windward, as in toward the direction of the wind. Therefore, "cowward", would be toward the cow, double "w" or no. There are many other consonants that become doubled before a vowel, why not the "w" as well?

[madfilkentist]

A worm which glows is a "glowworm," not a "gloworm." So I'd go with "cowward" to be pedantic. But "coward" is more amusing.

[red-tanya.livejournal.com]

I'd be tempted to hyphenate or separate "glowworm" because the double "w" looks wrong to me.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. But "leeward" and "windward" and all the other -ward words that I could think of assume a word that doesn't end in w. I say "I'm heading meetingward," for instance, but I might say, were I heading to see Woodrow, "I'm heading Woodroward."

And I'm trying to think of consonants that consistently get doubled when you add a vowel. "Cancelled/canceled" is disputed, and -ed has its own rules. "Occurrence" is one, but you don't say "dickerred," "disturbbance" or "commandded."

::is thinky about odd things::

[zsero.livejournal.com]

Arrowwood, arrowworm, bowwood, bowwow, glowworm, hollowware, powwow, screwworm, slowworm, willowware, yellowware, yellowood.

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

We are happy, we are merry
We are happy, we are merry
Because we've got /var/share/dictionary
Because we've got /var/share/dictionary

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

Gah! That should be "/usr/share/dictionary". I am mortified.

[zsero.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't. That list came from m-w.com. I only listed words for which m-w.com had actual entries, and where both 'w's are pronounced (as opposed to words like "strawworm", where the first 'w' is silent).

[red-tanya.livejournal.com]

I like your definition for "coward" : )

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Alas, things like this are not uncommon in my brain. I'm used to them; sometimes others are surprised.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Hee! Maybe should be "cow'ard" if you're at sea?

Posty McPostalot

[lcmlc.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to meeting her. Nice to have the think-y and process-y stuff on line in the wetware. Lots of love and have a wonderful time with beckyfeld, osewalrus and offspring - boinggggg. BTW - do you remeember Gerald McBoing Boing?