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See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna
dduane

Little fact about French because I just learned that

limbile

The accent circonflexe (^) exists in French words to replace the “s” that no longer exists but used to be there in older French.

For example: fenêtre used to be fenestre

It is still possible to see the “s” at times in family words like “défenestrer”.

culmaer

knowing this, « être » becomes much more regular :

  • être  → estre (es, est, sommes, ê[s]tes, sont ; ser-)

some French derivations become clearer :

  • fenêtre   → défenestrer → L. fenestra
  • fête   → festival
  • hôpital → hospitaliser (E. hospital, ise)
  • intérêt  → intéressant (E. interest, -ing)
  • ancêtre  → ancestral (E. ancestor, -ral)
  • arrêt    → arrestation
  • épître  → épistolaire (E. epistle)

some English cognates become more obvious :

  • hôtel  → hostel (E. ‘hotel’ borrowed from French)
  • forêt  → forest (tipp to remember ^ goes on the ‹e›)
  • bête  → beast
  • côte  → coast
  • honnête → honest
  • pâte, pâté → pasta, paste
  • quête   → quest
  • enquête  → inquest
  • tempête  → tempest
  • vêtements → vestments (ie. clothes)
  • baptême → baptism

sometimes, the acute replaces the circumfex for phonetic reasons :

  • ḗcole   → escole → L. schola (E. school)
  • ḗtranger   → estrangier (E. stranger)
  • ḗtudier   → estudier (E. study)
  • dḗgoûtant → desgoustant (E. disgusting)
  • dḗbarquer → desembarquer (E. disembark)
  • rḗpondre  → respondre (E. respond)
  • rḗpublique → L. res publica

Also, where « c → ch » (eg. cantare→ chanter) :

  • château → castel (E. castle)
  • pêcher → L. piscare

and « w → gu » (eg. war→ guerre ; warden→ guardian) :

  • guêpe → E. wasp ! (this is my n° 1 favourite cognate)

bonus etymologies :

  • tête   → L. testa
  • fantôme  → L. phantasma (E. ‘phantom’ borrowed from French)
  • Pâques  → Gk. pásxa → Am. pésaḫ (E. Paschal)

Also just be aware that the circumflex has some other uses too, like distinguishing « sur — sûr » or « dû » and the vowel quality in « âge »

hayley-studies

Where was this post when I was doing A-Level French! This is actually a really interesting language change called “syncope” (the loss of a medial segment within a word) and what makes it even more interesting to me is that not only was the -s- dropped post vocalically and largely before voiceless stops, but that the circumflex was (unnecessarily but coolly) adopted as an orthographic marker of the lost -s-. Even more interesting is that syncope usually occurs in vowels. I love this.

Can I just complain for a moment about how disappointing this future is, fashion-wise?

I mean, I was 20 in 2000. Shit was weird. Everything was glitter and slick and blob and gel and huge weird pants and hangly coats and future.

We could only go up from there.

Except now it’s 2016 and everything is “skinny jeans again I guess?”

I am not in this for skinny jeans again.

I am in this for coveralls made of clingfilm.

Where are my coveralls made of clingfilm???

y2k the future is boring
spaceexp

Gemini IX Crew Found ‘Angry Alligator’ in Earth Orbit

spaceexp

image

NASA - Gemini IX Mission patch.

June 1, 2016

NASA’s Gemini IX mission was another step in developing technology for future spaceflights from Apollo to the agency’s Journey to Mars. But this mission included developing alternate plans when faced with the unexpected.

image

Image above: An Augmented Target Docking Adapter, or ATDA, launches atop an Atlas rocket from Cape Kennedy Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 14 on June 1, 1966. The ATDA served as a rendezvous target for Gemini IXA. Image Credit: NASA.

Gemini IX provided NASA with crucial experience in learning how to be flexible, expanding skills in orbital rendezvous and gaining a better understanding of the challenges faced by spacewalking astronauts.

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