Kia Motors America

[LanDi Liu]

So if Paul and his mate go on a trip together, they can go via Via,
thus forcing Arnold to add another category to his "Word" word words.

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 11:43 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
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>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
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> Subject:      Re: Kia Motors America
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>
> At 10:51 PM +0800 4/29/08, LanDi Liu wrote:
>  >  >From their site:
>  >
>  >The word "Kia" is derived from the Chinese characters "ki", meaning to
>  >"arise or come up out of", and "a", referring to Asia.  So when put
>  >together, "Kia" means to "arise or come up out of Asia".
>  >
>  >Shit.  Another noun verbed.  I hate when people noun verbs.  On second
>  >thought it looks like a verb nouned.  Are there other cars with verbs
>  >as names?
>  >
>  >["ki" is not pinyin, so I'm guessing by the meaning that "qi3" (=E3N) and
>  >"ya4" (-=AB) are the characters being referred to.]
>  >
>  >Randy
>
>  Despite the fact that your characters came=20
>  through beautifully, your derivation is mistaken.=20
>  "Kia" obviously comes from the Swahili, where it=20
>  is a homonym whose two different values are both=20
>  relevant.  Nominal "kia" is a lid for covering a=20
>  cooking-pot, which the shape of the car clearly=20
>  resembles, but there's also an influence from the=20
>  unrelated verb "kia", which means 'to step over=20
>  (as of a log, etc.)', which alludes to the=20
>  compact size of the vehicle.  It's important to=20
>  bear in mind that "Kia" is a Class 7-8=20
>  [ki/vi-class] noun, and as such its plural is=20
>  properly "Via", good to know if Paul is=20
>  considering buying more than one.
>
>  LH
>
>  >
>  >On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:13 PM, Cohen, Gerald=20
>
> >Leonard <gcohen at mst.edu> wrote:
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>  >>   Poster:       "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at MST.EDU>
>  >>
>  >>  Subject:      Re: Kia Motors America
>  >>=20
>  >>--------------------------------------------------------------------------=
>
>
> -----
>  >>
>  >>   Btw, what is the etymology of this Kia?
>  >>
>  >>   Gerald Cohen
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
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>  >
>  >--
>  >Randy Alexander
>  >Jilin City, China
>  >
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--
Randy Alexander
Jilin City, China

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