Language oddity

[rhu]

Why is patrimony what you get from your father, but matrimony is what you give to your spouse?

Comments

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Because historically women didn't have anything to give their kids besides domestic skills?

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, but.

Today I was discussing the differences between German-Jewish and Polish-Jewish liturgy with a friend at shul, and I ended up saying, "I'm trying to reclaim my patri-- matri-- my cultural heritage from my mother's side of the family."

Very frustrating to have the word I need not mean what it should.

[cnoocy]

This exact issue is often exhibit 1 in discussions of sexism being built into language.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

You could try the OED?

[violetcheetah.livejournal.com]

[insert a(u)ntimony pun here]

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Nice. :-)

[ucaoimhu.livejournal.com]

I could rattle off a hypothesis, but it would contain more patter than matter.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Would it be particularly rapid and unintelligible?

[jangler-npl.livejournal.com]

Your userpic is as unpronounceable as your userid. "Snyuh"?

[ucaoimhu.livejournal.com]

For an explanation of the userpic, see the cryptic linked to in the first post on my Livejournal blog.