The Book of Obscure Sorrows, John Koenig

Medusa said:
Can I recommend Professor McWhorter’s, “Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue,” as a good start for his work, if you’re interested? He’s wonderful over audio as he does dialects, slang, etc. so very well.
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I will have a look at obtaining it. Bastard as in bastardised? I’ve just listened to part of it on Amazon.co.uk. and it seems like the type of thing that piques my interest.

Medusa said:
He said something in one of his lectures that struck me as so profound, poignant and beautiful, I remember it by rote. Instead of saying, “If you’re old enough,” he said, “If you’re far enough along in this trail of tears we call life.”
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So do you see that as saying something like, a metaphor for someone who has moved significantly far through life, and therefore through its tribulations? Only then being someone who can have the necessary perspectives? Can you remember what context he said it in?

Medusa said:
I can't pinpoint when I became interested in linguistics. I have always loved reading and communicating and I suppose, by extension, language. It has just developed over the years.
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When I read your original post it seemed somehow to me that you might have a far more deeper interest than just your interest in The Book of Obscure Sorrows.

I can’t pinpoint when I became interested in linguistics either. It just kind of happed. Then I saw I was learning other things from it, so I just kept going.

Medusa said:
I share your interest, fascination with, understanding of how language opens an entire culture in that, as @Octavio_48 pointed out that beautiful Japanese word, Komorebi, there are words in other languages to describe things that we do not have in our language and reasons for that; they describe things, ideas, feelings, etc., which are not of note or value in our culture or we simply haven't thought about them for whatever reasons.
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Yes, i see that, and agree.

Medusa said:
I also appreciate how language changes over time and is constantly in motion, a fluid thing and how that reflects the societies that create them, over time and space. I simply love languages.
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Yes, and the inclusion of borrowed words. Bungalow for example; I belvive a words that the British took from India during colonial times. And shampoo, perhaps be it with an anglicanized spelling. Referring to, I think, the massaging of one’s head. Then the action of washing one’s head / hair. Then later referring to the product used to wash hair.

The thing that always irritated me was that of some pompous types who say American spelling and pronunciations are wrong, and should be avoided in Britain. And the introduction of new words in to the English language as being wrong too. The English language has always being changing, with new words being introduced / borrowed all the time. Even British English (separate from American English) has words meanings and pronunciation that’s changed over time, along with spelling. So why insist it should become static now.

Medusa said:
derby (n.)
town and county in England, Old English Deorby "deer village," from deor "deer" (see deer) + by "habitation, homestead," from a Scandinavian source (see first element in bylaw). the annual Derby horse race, the most important in England, was begun 1780 by the 12th Earl of Derby and run at Epsom, Surrey; the name was used for any major horse race after 1875. Hence Derby day (generally the Wednesday before Whitsuntide), etc.
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This is different to what I put. What you put here seems Germanic? (“Deor” [by]) as oppose to the Viking Norse example I gave (Askrbyr). Along with many other origins of ‘deer’ in the etymology link you gave. “by” is definitely Viking Norse, or at least from everything that I have previously read, but Deor seems Germanic. So did Derby end up becoming a mix of the two?

Medusa said:
The term derby, meaning a race or multi-race event, appeared in the press as early as 1922, when the Chicago Tribune announced and reported on the results of two "roller derby" events held that year. These were multi-day events during which various roller skating races were held on a flat track at Chicago's Broadway Armory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_roller_derby

Fun. :)
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I know the word Derby as also referring to a local game of rivals. As in rival teams within a city, or two rivals from close by towns or cities.

In your original post, and then from the post of others, it wasn’t clear to me whether The Book of Obscure Sorrows was a book of made up words by the author. Or whether it was lesser knows words from other languages, with the correct definition. Or lesser known words with new definitions by the author. Perhaps the book is all of those things? How do you see it?

Can you see the phrase “dead reckoning” in your copy of The Book of Obscure Sorrows? "n. to find yourself bothered by someone's death more than you would have expected, as if you assumed they would always be part of the landscape…" I only know the phrase dead reckoning in nautical terms. Meaning to calculate the position of a ship or boat at sea.
 
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Magna-Carta said:
I will have a look at obtaining it. Bastard as in bastardised? I’ve just listened to part of it on Amazon.co.uk I just listened to a sample on Amazon.co.uk, and it seems like the type of thing that piques my interest.


So do you see that as saying something like, a metaphor for someone who has moved significantly far through life, and therefore through its tribulations? Only then being someone who can have the necessary perspectives? Can you remember what context he said it in?


When I read your original post it seemed somehow to me that you might have a far more deeper interest than just your interest in The Book of Obscure Sorrows.

I can’t pinpoint when I became interested in linguistics either. It just kind of happed. Then I saw I was learning other things from it, so I just kept going.


Yes, i see that, and agree.


Yes, and the inclusion of borrowed words. Bungalow for example; I belvive a words that the British took from India during colonial times. And shampoo, perhaps be it with an anglicanized spelling. Referring to, I think, the massaging of one’s head. Then the action of washing one’s head / hair. Then later referring to the product used to wash hair.

The thing that always irritated me was that of some pompous types who say American spelling and pronunciations are wrongand should be avoided in Britain. And the introduction of new words in to the English language as being wrong too. The English language has always being changing, with new words being introduced / borrowed all the time. Even British English (separate from American English) has words meanings and pronunciation that’s changed over time, along with spelling. So why insist it should become static now.


This is different to what I put. What you put here seems Germanic? (“Deor” [by]) as oppose to the Viking Norse example I gave (Askrbyr). Along with many other origins of ‘deer’ in the etymology link you gave. “by” is definitely Viking Norse, or at least from everything that I have previously read, but Deor seems Germanic. So did Derby end up becoming a mix of the two?


I know the word Derby as also referring to a local game of rivals. As in rival teams within a city, or two rivals from close by towns or cities.

In your original post, and then from the post of others, it wasn’t clear to me whether The Book of Obscure Sorrows was a book of made up words by the author. Or whether it was lesser knows words from other languages, with the correct definition. Or lesser known words with new definitions by the author. Perhaps the book is all of those things? How do you see it?

Can you see the phrase “dead reckoning” in your copy of The Book of Obscure Sorrows? "n. to find yourself bothered by someone's death more than you would have expected, as if you assumed they would always be part of the landscape…" I only know the phrase dead reckoning in nautical terms. Meaning to calculate the position of a ship or boat at sea.
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Thank you for this post. :)

I'd like to bring the discussion back around to the book. ♥

For instance:

Siso
n. a solitary experience you wish you could have shared with some else - having dinner in a romantic setting, reaching the summit after an arduous climb, having a run-in with a crazy stranger that nobody's going to believe - which makes you loook around for confirmation that it even happened at all.

Welsh si-so, see-saw, an invention that can only ever be enjoyed by multiple people; when used alone, it's just a wonky bench.
Pronounced "see-soh."

I love that he used the word, "wonky" as that is one of my faves. :)

I've had so many moments like this in my life; moments where I look around and wonder if I'm on camera, if it's some sort of prank. :/ Life is strange.
 

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Hanker Sore

adj. finding a person so attractive it actually kinda pisses you off.

From hanker, to pine after something + canker sore, which gets worse the more you're aware of it.

----

I am almost exclusively attracted to people based on their personalities and intellect, but I think I have experienced this emotion in past, at least it feels like I have a memory of feeling that way toward at least one or two people. I may not have been physically attracted to them, but their gleaming attractiveness was annoying. Something like that, anyway. It feels familiar.
 
Is there anything in the book about water. That is, the shimmering of, or anything to do with bubbles in water. How is the book indexed?
 
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I know, how about something like aquasheenism transcendence, for the emotional feeling of being captivated by the shimmering reflection of light on the surface of water. I seem to be drawn to water for some reason. If aquasheenism transcendence isn't in the book, then it or something similar ought to be, in my opinion. But I suppose the book is what it is, who am I to say what ought to be in it :)

Maybe a much longer definition is needed than the one I gave.


UPDATE:
Aquasheenism transcendence

The emotional feeling of being captivated by the shimmering reflection of light on a moving water surface. As though gazing into and just below its surface. A feeling of being part of its upper surface and yet being transcended to a higher place by its captivating and magical awe. Causing us to stop and contemplate the infinite and ever changing complexities of its surface. An emotion that evokes a deep inner sense of peacefulness & tranquillity. Yet also a sense of being lost within it; a sense of nothing else existing apart from your own sense of wellbeing and being part of its beauty. And a sense of being invigorated by the movement of its surface, as the surface washes over your senses, and washes through and around the complexities of your mind. Cleansing your mind in the process, and releasing your mind form its confinements.

Ok, that’s all I can give. I have nothing left. I can give no more.

Next time you are near a body of water; a reasonably fast flowing somewhat turbulent river, but not excessively so, take that definition with you. Keep it in your back pocked and pull it out for special occasions. Such as when staring at the surface of the water. :)
 
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Medusa said:
Welsh si-so, see-saw, an invention that can only ever be enjoyed by multiple people; when used alone, it's just a wonky bench.
Pronounced "see-soh."

I love that he used the word, "wonky" as that is one of my faves. :)

I've had so many moments like this in my life; moments where I look around and wonder if I'm on camera, if it's some sort of prank. :/ Life is strange.
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Thats just bonkers! :)
 
Magna-Carta said:
Is there anything in the book about water. That is, the shimmering of, or anything to do with bubbles in water. How is the book indexed?
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It is indexed alphabetically in the back and by idea, e.g., "Faces in the Crowd," and "The Interior Wilderness."
I haven't yet run across a word using water as symbolism, but I wouldn't be surprised. Almost seems like there must be.
 
Magna-Carta said:
I know, how about something like aquasheenism transcendence, for the emotional feeling of being captivated by the shimmering reflection of light on the surface of water. I seem to be drawn to water for some reason. If aquasheenism transcendence isn't in the book, then it or something similar ought to be, in my opinion. But I suppose the book is what it is, who am I to say what ought to be in it :)

Maybe a much longer definition is needed than the one I gave.


UPDATE:
Aquasheenism transcendence

The emotional feeling of being captivated by the shimmering reflection of light on a moving water surface. As though gazing into and just below its surface. A feeling of being part of its upper surface and yet being transcended to a higher place by its captivating and magical awe. Causing us to stop and contemplate the infinite and ever changing complexities of its surface. An emotion that evokes a deep inner sense of peacefulness & tranquillity. Yet also a sense of being lost within it; a sense of nothing else existing apart from your own sense of wellbeing and being part of its beauty. And a sense of being invigorated by the movement of its surface, as the surface washes over your senses, and washes through and around the complexities of your mind. Cleansing your mind in the process, and releasing your mind form its confinements.

Ok, that’s all I can give. I have nothing left. I can give no more.

Next time you are near a body of water; a reasonably fast flowing somewhat turbulent river, but not excessively so, take that definition with you. Keep it in your back pocked and pull it out for special occasions. Such as when staring at the surface of the water. :)
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Did you create that, @Magna-Carta?
It's lovely.
When reading it, I was actually imagining calmer, river waters, slower shimmering movements. Same effect applies, however. Nice word.
 
Medusa said:
Did you create that, @Magna-Carta?
It's lovely.
When reading it, I was actually imagining calmer, river waters, slower shimmering movements. Same effect applies, however. Nice word.
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yes, I just made it up. Admittedly it wasn’t all immediate, although much of it was. Some of it I thought about longer, by imagining I’m standing on a river bank looking at the water and staring into it, as I sometimes do. And thinking about where is it taking me and what does it mean to me. So there you go, it was a definition based on what I thought it meant to me. something kind of… well I’m not entirely sure what is it. Something kind of magical and mysterious about water.

Im glad my definition took you to your own place. I doubt very much I could come up with definitions like that with everything, it would have to be something I could relate to.
 
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I like this one because it's relatable, but also a little creepy. I'm wondering what the author was thinking, or better, how he was feeling when he came up with this one.


Anchorage

n. the desire to hold on to time as it passes, like trying to keep your grip on a rock in the middle of a river, feeling the weight of the current against your chest while your elders float on downstream, calling over the roar of the rapids, "Just let go--it's okay--let go."

From anchorage, a port at which ships may anchor. Pronounced "ang-ker-ij"
 
I was just skimming through the book ... it's a very 'skimmable' work ... and smiled when I read this (for me it is playing guitar) :

amuse-douche

n. an activity that you've adored since you were a kid --- riding bikes, reading books, taking pictures, cooking food --- whose enjoyment dissolves on contact with hard-core fanatics' ferocious obsession with technique.

From amuse-bouche a bite-size appetiser intended to tantalize the palate + douche. Pronounced "ah-mooz-doosh"
 
Octavo_48 said:
I was just skimming through the book ... it's a very 'skimmable' work ... and smiled when I read this (for me it is playing guitar) :

amuse-douche

n. an activity that you've adored since you were a kid --- riding bikes, reading books, taking pictures, cooking food --- whose enjoyment dissolves on contact with hard-core fanatics' ferocious obsession with technique.

From amuse-bouche a bite-size appetiser intended to tantalize the palate + douche. Pronounced "ah-mooz-doosh"
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This one reminds me of those light, airy, mint candies that melt away almost before they can be fully enjoyed.

I couldn't relate it to an activity in that I can't conceptualize how an activity, the enjoyment of an activity dissolves on contact.

Odd, thought-provoking word.
 
Medusa said:
This one reminds me of those light, airy, mint candies that melt away almost before they can be fully enjoyed.

I couldn't relate it to an activity in that I can't conceptualize how an activity, the enjoyment of an activity dissolves on contact.

Odd, thought-provoking word.
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For me Medusa it's reminiscent of those self-appointed authorities who delight in airing their "knowledge" on your technique in your chosen hobby which instantly kills the enjoyment of the moment as well as often belittling you in front of others.
 
Octavo_48 said:
For me Medusa it's reminiscent of those self-appointed authorities who delight in airing their "knowledge" on your technique in your chosen hobby which instantly kills the enjoyment of the moment as well as often belittling you in front of others.
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"...whose enjoyment dissolves on contact with hard-core fanatics' ferocious obsession with technique."

Oh, my duh! I see this now. I think I was misreading it or simply not taking it in properly.
So, people ruining things for others by having to be the all-knowing authority on said things.
 
This is a nice one:

Keir

n. an ill-fated attempt to reenact a beloved memory years later, returning to a place that once felt like home, only to find it now feels uncannily off, like walking through a wax museum of your own childhood.

Dutch kier, fissure or narrow opening, as in the midpoint of an hourglass. Pronounced, "keer."

This one seems very reminiscent of what Thomas Wolf meant in the title of his novel, "You can never go home again."

I just picked this up from Tumblr, but I like it:

There's an old adage, adopted from the title of a 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel, that states, “You can never go home again.” The saying is meant to infer how nostalgia causes us to view the past in an overly-positive light, and how humans tend to remember people and places from our upbringing in static terms.
 
Medusa said:
This is a nice one:

Keir

n. an ill-fated attempt to reenact a beloved memory years later, returning to a place that once felt like home, only to find it now feels uncannily off, like walking through a wax museum of your own childhood.

Dutch kier, fissure or narrow opening, as in the midpoint of an hourglass. Pronounced, "keer."

This one seems very reminiscent of what Thomas Wolf meant in the title of his novel, "You can never go home again."

I just picked this up from Tumblr, but I like it:

There's an old adage, adopted from the title of a 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel, that states, “You can never go home again.” The saying is meant to infer how nostalgia causes us to view the past in an overly-positive light, and how humans tend to remember people and places from our upbringing in static terms.
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I think a quick dose of "deep gut" is called for in this instance.

"a resurgent emotion that you hadn't felt in years, that you might have forgotten about completely if your emotional playlist hadn't accidentally been left on shuffle" :)
 
I'm realising Medusa that, cleverly, he has given words that offer opposing sides of thoughts and emotions. There's also a brilliant word (which I can't find right now) for the times when our parents were in the company of their childhood friends and start to act like youngsters again, giving us a glimpse of how they were before marriage and family came along.
 
Octavo_48 said:
I think a quick dose of "deep gut" is called for in this instance.

"a resurgent emotion that you hadn't felt in years, that you might have forgotten about completely if your emotional playlist hadn't accidentally been left on shuffle" :)
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Your emotional playlist on shuffle. I love that. That in itself is a deep thought I want to explore. My emotional playlist. (This is going into my notes for therapist). ;)

I think the difference here is an active, and often ill-fated, attempt to recreate an emotion and an auto-reaction/response as you are describing.
 
Octavo_48 said:
I'm realising Medusa that, cleverly, he has given words that offer opposing sides of thoughts and emotions. There's also a brilliant word (which I can't find right now) for the times when our parents were in the company of their childhood friends and start to act like youngsters again, giving us a glimpse of how they were before marriage and family came along.
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I found it ... it's called "The McFly Effect" ... which is pretty much self-explanatory isn't it :)
 
Looking it up now...

Oh, it's in "Obscure Sorrows!" I Goggled it, not realizing.

I think that phenomenon is very unsettling for adult children, causes a sort of cognitive dissonance.
 
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