[And synonyms.] English has too many. No, really -- when you can paraphrase
The Princess and the Pea as
The Marquesa and the Micturition, things have gone entirely too far. Even though
that would be way more detectable in a pile of mattresses.
"Ew," she asked, "Did the cat get locked in here today?"
(Me, I have spent most of the day not on a pea but a heating pad. I think my back is getting better...much too slowly).
[snicker]
ReplyDeleteRealistically, the plethora of homonyms is due to the fact that English started out as a Germanic language, with huge whacks of various Celtic words, then with French overlaid, and generous helpings of Latin and Greek thrown in for good measure.
Than, too, we have the charming habit of English speakers to steal tons of words from foreign languages wholesale while they were off oppressing the poor innocent natives, file off the serial numbers, and then claim them as English.
Two many homonyms four me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about 'micturition' . . . it would make 'pease porridge' altogether less appetizing!
ReplyDelete:-)