Odd question for native english speakers |
Legion 4
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Post subject: Odd question for native english speakers Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:05 pm |
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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 5:13 pm Posts: 36989 Location: Ohio - USA
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zombocom
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Post subject: Odd question for native english speakers Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:52 pm |
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:49 am Posts: 5569
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In English there are often many words and phrases for the same basic concept, but with very subtle differences in meanings. It's why English is such a poetic language, and why it has the largest vocabulary in the world.
For example, the differences between "theft" and "stealing" are not easy to explain, but are certainly there. It's more a matter of context and style than meaning. There are situations in which one is more appropriate than the other, "theft" being the moe formal of the two.
Back on topic though, in the context of a wargame, play is always going to be a verb, whereas game will usually be the noun, but can also occasionally be used as a verb as in "we're gaming".
In other contexts, such as the theatre or sports, "play" can be used as a noun, e.g. "I went to watch a play", or "let's make a statue of liberty play".
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Magnus
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Post subject: Odd question for native english speakers Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:21 am |
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Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:30 pm Posts: 462
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And what happens with "roleplaying game"? 
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vanvlak
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Post subject: Odd question for native english speakers Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:29 am |
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Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:52 am Posts: 10348 Location: Malta
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And what happens with "roleplaying game"?
Loghba fejn kulhadd jilghaba ta' xi karattru. Too descriptive.
Ghat-taparsi. Bit infantile...(more like 'let's pretend' )
Kantini w draguni. Er - D&D, anyone?
No wonder we usually nick English/Italian/French words. Televixin; kompjuter; internet; DVD; laser (which would be written lejser to be pronounced the same way). So we'll call them RPGs. A new trend is for this stuff to be written in 'Maltese', so: Arpigi. Which would probably get corrupted in a few years to Arpigin. Sigh.
_________________ Back from oblivion (again)?
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