Author Topic: Parts of a Tree (Read 766 times)

Nikola · « **on:** August 25, 2019, 04:54:54 pm »

I'd like to discuss the words for different parts of a tree and their homonyms in various languages because I suspect there is a symbolic quality to them that has allowed people to create (often abstract) expressions for lots of things (a branch for example). Can you tell us the names of different parts of a tree in your language or one you're familiar with, and see if any of them have other meanings, unrelated to trees?

Here's a picture with numbers but feel free to come up with parts that aren't highlighted or shown if they're worth mentioning:

Nikola · « **Reply #1 on:** August 26, 2019, 09:02:41 am »

Here are some examples in Czech:

1. kořen (kořeny pl.): in the plural form refers to family origins, similarly to English. Kořen is also the basic part of a word that doesn't change.

2. kmen: a tribe, also a level of classification in biology (equivalent to phylum) and part of a word that includes kořen.

3. větev: sometimes refers to a field of study/specialisation within a school (humanitní větev), also used in genealogy (similar to bloodline, I believe).

4. list: a sheet of paper and an outdated word for letter - the postman used to be called listonoš (literally the leaf-carrier).

5. květ: -

6. koruna: the thing the king has on his head, the Czech currency (also used in Scandinavian countries), Koruna Česká refers to the Czech lands in the medieval and early modern periods

Lands of the Bohemian Crown - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

, korunka (diminutive) in dentistry is an artificial part of a tooth that sits on what's left of your original tooth. There's also an idiom: nasadit něčemu korunu (to put a crown onto something): usually sarcastic, to say you were already doing something stupid and embarrassing yourself in the process and then you did one last thing, taking the embarrassment to another level.

I think many of these also apply to English. Please share your words and meanings, it doesn't matter if no one here is learning your language and you don't have to be a linguist. Just share whatever you can think of.

Chizuko · « **Reply #2 on:** August 27, 2019, 10:44:08 am »

Roots ルーツ: It is pronounced like the English word. (actually Japanese say Loots with wrong pronunciation.

) We didn't use this word as describing your original people and things, ancestor or original cultures and so on. We used to say 祖先(sosen) for people and 起源（kigen) for things. But these days, most Japanese use the word "roots". It sounds ok but, I prefer original Japaneses word 祖先. If I heard someone said "My Loots is from..." , even though he was a 100% Japanese, it would sound like he might have Loots from somewhere in Europe. It's funny to me.

Chizuko · « **Reply #3 on:** August 27, 2019, 10:56:14 am »

2. 幹（miki/kan)
It means a main and importunate part. If it broke, the other parts would be going to collapse. The famous Japanese bullet train is called 新幹線（shin kan sen)。If 新幹線 had problems, all Japanese would worry that Japan might be falling down. I'm saying seriously.

Nikola · « **Reply #4 on:** August 27, 2019, 06:45:28 pm »

@Chizuko

No wonder Japanese people get R and L mixed up if they borrow an expression from English and change the first letter

Any idea why this happens? I thought you had R in Japanese (nigiri, ryokan, arigato) or is it pronounced differently?

Thank you for "kan", I had no idea that part of the word for the bullet train was also part of a tree.

Chizuko · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2019, 02:11:48 am »

Nikola
I have R sound, but most Japanese don't as they can't speak English. Arigato is actually pronounced nearly aLigato. It' s a mystery why it is written aRigato in romaji. Japanese can't pronounce both R and L in English properly anyway
When a Japanese want to say "I eat rice", it sounds like, "I eat lice".
"Karate" as Japanese martial arts is pronounced "Kalate" in Japanese. It has changed to "Karit" by foreigners now. When I heard "karit" for the first time, I didn't know what it was.

MartinSR · « **Reply #6 on:** September 06, 2019, 10:49:40 pm »

In Polish:
Korzeń, pień, gałąź, kwiat, liść, korona.
The meanings not referring to a tree are similar to those in Czech...
...maybe except for the leaf:
Leaf = liść
Letter = list (and a postman is "listonosz" too).

MartinSR · « **Reply #7 on:** September 06, 2019, 10:54:39 pm »

And adding other meaning to a flower.
Kwiat rycerstwa (literally : flower of chivalry), kwiat młodzieży (flower of youth).
I think there is also similar meaning in English, like in the Scottish anthem "The flower of Scotland"

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Author Topic: Parts of a Tree (Read 766 times)

Nikola

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