The Garderobe

[ScotL]

Scotl,

FM34 didn't learn you that, he taught you that. He's obviously a wizard on the history of language(s).

Tom

Hahahahahaha, sorry. Meant it as a joke given I was talking to a linguist. I used “learned” as a colloquial expression used often where I grew up by local yokels. If you’re familiar with the show The Simpson’s, think Cletus. And then think of that guy saying “I gots ta get me some learnin’”. Ah the written versus spoken word.

[geron]

A few examples: Guillaume became William, guimpe became (a nun's) wimple, guerre and guerrier became war and warrior, (le Pays de) Galles became Wales,

Much of Western Europe appears to have been occupied by Celtic tribes in ancient times, but invasions from the East drove most of these peoples towards the windswept Atlantic coasts -- in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, France and Spain, where their presence is still recorded in placenames -- and even in kilt-wearing traditions.

In France a major tribe was the Gauls (les Gaulois), who received a bit of a beating from the Romans led by Julius Caesar, as recounted in his De Bello Gallico. And the influence goes still further: the Celtic-flavoured province of northwestern Spain is called Galicia.

[Myopic Bookworm]

A few examples: Guillaume became William, guimpe became (a nun's) wimple, guerre and guerrier became war and warrior, (le Pays de) Galles became Wales,

Much of Western Europe appears to have been occupied by Celtic tribes in ancient times, but invasions from the East drove most of these peoples towards the windswept Atlantic coasts -- in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, France and Spain, where their presence is still recorded in placenames -- and even in kilt-wearing traditions.

In France a major tribe was the Gauls (les Gaulois), who received a bit of a beating from the Romans led by Julius Caesar, as recounted in his De Bello Gallico. And the influence goes still further: the Celtic-flavoured province of northwestern Spain is called Galicia.

In some cases it's a little more complicated. The name "Wales" does not come directly from French "pays de Galles", but from Anglo-Saxon "Wealas", based in an old Germanic word "Walh" which may originally have been the name of a Celtic tribe, but became also a generic term for "person who doesn't speak Germanic", whether Celtic or Roman. The influence of the Franks (a Germanic people who conquered ancient Gaul) on the French language means that in some cases an English word which looks like a borrowing from French is actually a parallel development from a Germanic root in both languages.

[rode_kater]

Ha, in Dutch it's also just "WC" pronounced like the english "vaysay", except of course the "v" is actually halfway between the English "v" and "w". Like the joke about German "ve have vays of making you talk". You can ask for the "badkamer" (bathroom), but that's actually a different question because the WC may not be physically in the bathroom.

[Faldaguy]

We are visiting in Oregon's Willamette valley -- home to a lot of vineyards. Oregon's DMV has a bunch (about 50) Specialty License plates you can buy for a premium, many identified by a two or three letter designation on the side. My wife pointing in front of us-- what is that one: "WC" Water Closet? -- No, Wine Country!

[skirtyscot]

A few examples: Guillaume became William ...

... and I think I'll have gaufres for breakfast. Nice with some fruit and a wee dribble of cream.