[Lexicog] Re: Figurative expressions for "courage" in different language

[Peter Kirk]

On 19/02/2005 12:14, Fritz Goerling wrote:

> Thanks for the information, Kees,
>
> I assume you are Dutch. Where does the expression "Dutch courage"
> come from? :-)
>
I wouldn't expect Kees to answer this one as it sounds rather insulting.
My guess would be that it is a reference to the drinking and brawling
habits of Dutch sailors in England.

One Azerbaijani expression for "coward" also means "lung". Well, perhaps
not quite. The word "ciyer" can mean either "lung" or "liver", and they
are distinguished if necessary as white ciyer = lung, black ciyer =
liver. But white-ciyer as one word (aghciyer)  means "coward" - but a
better literal rendering would probably be "white-livered". And this can
actually be used in English as well, although more common but with the
same basic meaning is "lily-livered".

A common figurative expression for "courage" in many languages
corresponds to "manliness", whereas "woman", used of a man, implies
cowardice. But I avoid such expressions because they are not
surprisingly offensive to women.

--
Peter Kirk
peter at qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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