tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post109276703387677626..comments2023-11-05T04:04:12.442-05:00Comments on Short Schrift: Why's he spell "schrift" that way?Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13026955797817424956noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-54747406910619648402010-02-16T02:49:14.210-05:002010-02-16T02:49:14.210-05:00I have been studying german since i was 12 and i a...I have been studying german since i was 12 and i always thought that short shrift was klein schrift and literally meant scribbling quickly or writing in a small space and thus the over all meaning of making short work! I had no clue that the semantics of shrift were linked to the Church! It is also interesting to note that "shrive" sounds like the german "schreib" which means to write. Of course they both come from the same latin root 'scribo' (write). I guess that the confession (shrive), at some point of time in history, was a written confession, hence a derivative of scribo was used for the act. So 'klein schrift' and 'short shrift' etynmologically are, in fact, literal translations of each other. However, they came to have the same phrasal meaning in a rather roundabout manner. Semantics never cease to amaze me. Language indeed is a "Lebensform"! (Witt)Swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330616826066543441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-79447707282087450482010-02-16T02:47:15.780-05:002010-02-16T02:47:15.780-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14330616826066543441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-1092845576792440802004-08-18T12:12:00.000-04:002004-08-18T12:12:00.000-04:00I didn't try "Short Shrift," so I don't know wheth...I didn't try "Short Shrift," so I don't know whether that was taken already. <br /><br />Besides, I need to make those German classes count for somethin'. [:-)]<br /><br />I have to say, my etymological confidence and acumen is definitely a function of having electronic access to the full Oxford English Dictionary through the Penn library. I'll make a separate post on grammar, etymologies and the OED soon.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13026955797817424956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-1092841951794476982004-08-18T11:12:00.000-04:002004-08-18T11:12:00.000-04:00Damn my typos. That works so much better when I "d...Damn my typos. That works so much better when I "dream of owning" the OED, not dream of "woning" it.<br /><br />Although maybe there's some good, dirty connotations to "woning" something. To the dictionary!Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09902304588711972110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-1092841835026897982004-08-18T11:10:00.000-04:002004-08-18T11:10:00.000-04:00An excellent introduction, and I learned more abou...An excellent introduction, and I learned more about the etymology of the word "schrift" than I ever thought I'd know--and this from someone who dreams of woning the Shorter OED!<br /><br />All the same, part of me can't help but wonder if, along with the linguistic gymnastics, whether "short shrift" not being available played a role in the choice. . .<br /><br />No, certainly not. "Short Schrift" is too much better.Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09902304588711972110noreply@blogger.com