Do some generally well-known words sometimes seem strange to you?

[Magna-Carta]

Recently, I've found that certain spoken words have seemed partly unrecognizable to me -- words I'm familiar with, and which are generally well-known, though not necessarily used every day. It was something I experienced over a period of about three weeks, which now seems to have passed.

One example was the word “Neptune”, in this context referring to the planet. At first, it felt only partly recognizable. I even wondered whether it had been pronounced incorrectly. I only fully accepted the word and its meaning after then using it myself a few times.

From what I’ve read since, this can occasionally happen when someone is in an introspective or fatigued mental state -- words can detach from their meaning, or momentarily feel like they belong to someone else’s language. I must admit, I’ve been quite introspective recently, and stressed too. So I hope that’s all it was, rather than anything more serious.

Has anyone else had this type of experience?

 

[dobielvr]

The word 'tough.' I was explaining something in writing wanting to use this word...but when I wrote it, I questioned myself as to if I had spelled it right. I googled it...yes, that was the correct spelling. So tough, next time that happens I'm just writing 'tuff'..lol

 

[Magna-Carta]

The word 'tough.' I was explaining something in writing wanting to use this word...but when I wrote it, I questioned myself as to if I had spelled it right. I googled it...yes, that was the correct spelling. So tough, next time that happens I'm just writing 'tuff'..lol

Imagine being in a conversation where suddenly a small number of words being spoken suddenly don't seem to make sense. I would imagine it would be quite worrying. Especially if it persisted.

 

[JustBonee]

Maybe well-known to other people, I have heard some words in the past year, regarding weather, that I have never heard before.

One is Derecho …. strong wind storm with long-lived straight line winds. They throw it around so much now that I had to check it out.

And that led me to another term, which the Derecho may be a part of. ….. Mesoscale Convective System. ….


All I know, is that when you hear any of those words … run for cover!

 

[IrisSenior]

Recently, I've found that certain spoken words have seemed partly unrecognizable to me -- words I'm familiar with, and which are generally well-known, though not necessarily used every day. It was something I experienced over a period of about three weeks, which now seems to have passed.

One example was the word “Neptune”, in this context referring to the planet. At first, it felt only partly recognizable. I even wondered whether it had been pronounced incorrectly. I only fully accepted the word and its meaning after then using it myself a few times.

From what I’ve read since, this can occasionally happen when someone is in an introspective or fatigued mental state -- words can detach from their meaning, or momentarily feel like they belong to someone else’s language. I must admit, I’ve been quite introspective recently, and stressed too. So I hope that’s all it was, rather than anything more serious.

Has anyone else had this type of experience?

Yes and I wondered about it. It still happens sometimes. I have been really stressed lately dealing with my siblings (3) poor health. I think it has a lot to do with it. For myself, I find time for myself just to relax (in my backyard) and not think of anything.