Re: english words absorbed into Asian languages during WW2

Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> benlizross wrote:
> >
> > Seán O'Leathlóbhair wrote:
> > >
> > > benlizross wrote:
> > > > Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Seán O'Leathlóbhair wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > The common meaning of "bundok" is hill or mountain but it
is also used
> > > > > > when I would say: "The middle of nowhere". The Filipinos
that I have
> > > > > > asked do not regard the American usage as conflicting with
their usage,
> > > > > > just more restricted. If you heard an English speaker say:
"He is from
> > > > > > the hills", would you not interpret as being similar to:
"from the
> > > > > > middle of nowhere / boondocks".
> > > > >
> > > > > No. I'd think it referred literally to that rolling higher
ground over
> > > > > there, or else to a cultural group of "hillbillies."
> > > > > --
> > > > > Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
> > > >
> > > > I think "middle of nowhere" is a somewhat misleading gloss.
Better
> > > > "rough country; jungle; an isolated or wild region" (OED), or
/"remote
> > > > places, rural regions" (Chapman). Relative to where most people
live,
> > > > the mountains are uncultivated, unpopulated, uncivilized and
difficult
> > > > of access. It is no accident that "hillbillies" live there. Of
course,
> > > > to a big-city person such as yourself, such places are
"nowhere", or
> > > > "I-don't-know-where". And of course the meaning is quite
capable of
> > > > broadening: if the words of the 1965 pop song "Down in the
boondocks"
> > > > reflect actual usage, it could just refer to the wrong side of
town.
> > > >
> > > > Ross Clark
> > >
> > > I did not intend to suggest that "middle of nowhere" was an exact
> > > translation but only that the phrases are liable to be used in
similar
> > > circumstances. When a Filipino is likely to say: "We are in the
> > > boondocks", I would probably say: "We are in the middle of
nowhere".
> > > In both cases, we just mean that we are far from what we regard
as
> > > civilisation. If your home is Manila then most of the rest of
country
> > > may be the boondocks.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Seán O'Leathlóbhair
> >
> > Actually the "middle of nowhere" gloss was originally given by
Peter,
> > who was claiming to see no connection between that and "mountain".
So my
> > remarks were directed at him; I don't think you and I disagree.
>
> "Boondocks" suggests featureless, flat terrain -- the Great Plains,
the
> Badlands, the scrubland; or the jungle.
>
> American mountains are a goal, sometimes a sacred place, a topos in
> painting, photography, and literature -- not, though, "the middle of
> nowhere." Contrast the OED and the Chapman definitions!
> --
> Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx

In the Philippines, I don't think that the mountains are so special.
Maybe a nice place for a short break but not sacred. I am not
suggesting that English adopted the full range of meanings of Tagalog
bundok, just the remote from civilisation one. An American's notion of
remote from civilisation may be quite different to that of a Filipino.

Do you still think that boondocks comes from an unknown word of an
unknown language which you read in an unknown book by an unknown
author?

--
Seán O'Leathlóbhair

.

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