Kaka (not the soccer player)

[Wilson Gray]

On Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 10:21 AM, Marc Velasco <marcjvelasco at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Marc Velasco <marcjvelasco at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Kaka (not the soccer player)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At least in Spanish.
>
> On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 10:57 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: Kaka (not the soccer player)
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>>
>> A lot of them. It's as common as "mama" and "papa." But Greek is
>> probably the relevant language, here. Cf. _kakos_ "bad," _kakkaein_
>> 'take a dump," presumably ultimately from *kaka, *kakka, a mother-talk, sound
>> -symbolism replacement of _sko[omega]r_ "shit."
>>
>> -Wilson
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 9:25 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>> > Subject:      Kaka (not the soccer player)
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>> >
>> > In what languages (whether owned up to or disowned) does "kaka" mean
>> > ... uhm ... "excrement, feces"?
>> >
>> > For what prompted this question, and general amusement, see
>> > http://ny.bloomsburyauctions.com/detail/NY014/383.0
>> >
>> > "Komrij, Kaka fonie" intrigued me.  If I wanted I could actually see
>> > this book (2006 edition) at my local large university library, which
>> > puts the very short title into one word and gives the following
>> > not-so-short title:
>> >
>> > Komrij's Kakafonie: oftewel, Encyclopedie van de stront: omvattende
>> > de symbolische waarde,de kont, het kakken, de kleur, de stank, de
>> > wind, het sanitair, de liefhebbers, satire & nonsens, stront en het
>> > boek, lexicografie, enz. enz. : verlucht met meer dan 100 duidelijke
>> > illustraties, waarvan sommige in kleur, & voorzien van een
>> > overzichtelijke bibliografie en een handig register: om telkens weer
>> > te kunnen raadplegen / samengesteld en ingeleid door Gerrit Komrij.
>> >
>> > Komrij's Kakafonie: in other words, Encyclopedia of the shit: the
>> > comprehensive symbolic value, the ass, the poop, colour, smells, the
>> > wind, the plumbing, the fans, satire & nonsense, shit and the book,
>> > lexicography, etc. etc. .: Illustrated with more than 100 clear
>> > illustrations, some in color, & equipped with a concise bibliography
>> > and a handy directory: to always be able to consult / composed and
>> > initiated by Gerrit Komrij.
>> >
>> > Not so bad for an automated translation by Google, and certainly
>> > gives the aroma.
>> >
>> > Joel
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
>> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>> -----
>> -Mark Twain
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Mark Twain

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org