Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2009 October 19

= October 19 =

ASL Sign Identification
Hello! I'm trying to identify a peculiar ASL sign I repeatedly saw used between two young signers. The handshape and position was with the back of the right hand resting in the palm of the left hand, and the right hand's index and middle fingers curled toward the ceiling and the rest of the fingers bent pointing inward to the palm. Then the right hand in this handshape moves in a counterclockwise circle (the back of the right hand rubbing against the palm of the left, both parallel to the ground). Is anyone familiar with this sign (sorry for the poor description)? Thank you!--el Aprel (facta-facienda) 02:12, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Your description is quite good . . . but it would help if you could provide some context for the conversation; since it seems they were conversing with each other, was it likely to be a technical/professional conversation or a friendly and joking conversation, possibly even with a rude theme?  Mae din \talk 08:10, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

two words, Gaelic to English translation
I am in a band, and my friend wants to name one of our songs "Roisin Dubh" (Ro-sheen doo) - and tells me that this means "my sweet, black rose" in Gaelic (as he was told by a gaelic speaker), but I don't believe this. I think there is some kind of trick being played on us here. Can anyone verify this or tell me what it translates to? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.149.70.94 (talk) 12:30, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * See Róisín Dubh. — Emil J. 12:38, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * In short, it just means "black Rose" (Rose as a girl's name, not the flower); "black" in this context means "black-haired", not black as in black people (who are called "blue" – gorm – in Irish, don't ask me why). +Angr 19:27, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Al-Qaeda as name
Since Al-Qaeda simply means "the base", is it reasonable to suppose that it is also used thoroughly with no reference to the infamous terror organization? For example, someone could call his pizza parlor "Al-Qaeda - the best dough", his air company "Al-Qaeda" or construction company "Al-Qaeda".--Quest09 (talk) 16:39, 19 October 2009 (UTC)


 * It is a regular word, and can be translated lots of ways...I seem to remember it, or something with the same roots, also means "square" in mathematics (kind of like The Pentagon in English). I don't know if people use it in names of businesses, that might be a little uncouth. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:16, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Bear in mind that it was an unremarkable word for a long time before bin Laden and his bunch adopted it (probably precisely because it was 'low profile'): it would be interesting to know if that's adversely affected the perception and everyday use of it in the Arabic-speaking world. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 00:16, 20 October 2009 (UTC)


 * As a side-question, I doubt anyone would be done for copyright if their pizza-place was named 'Al-Qaeda' (although they may receive orders to change the name in certain jurisdictions if this was in the West), but what about naming a place 'The Pentagon'? Just a question. --KageTora - SPQW - (影虎) (talk) 10:20, 20 October 2009 (UTC)


 * (EDIT) ah, it would appear there's one in India. --KageTora - SPQW - (影虎) (talk) 10:22, 20 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Here are some interesting musings upon the name.  meltBanana  00:11, 21 October 2009 (UTC)

american weevil
i am bambazed(101 points in scrabble).zyzzva is a search engine of scabble- also the last word in the fourth dictionary of American heritage. it is a genus of the word weevil as is bambazed as described in the Times, Britain today-are all thes words somehow linked? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.125.102.194 (talk) 18:59, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * "Bambazed" is old Scots dialect meaning "amazed, confused, puzzled", considered by some dictionaries to be the origin of the more common English word "bamboozled". Zyzzva was deliberately made up so that it comes near the end of alphabetical lists - see .  Apart from their usefulness to the Scrabble player, there's no connection between them. Tevildo (talk) 19:13, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The Concise Scots Dictionary (Aberdeen: Aberdeen UP, 1985) lists bambaize [sic] as a variant spelling of bumbaze, which it suggests is in fact derived from (rather than the source of) English bamboozle, influenced by the Scots baised ("dismayed, confused, bewildered"), itself a descendant of Middle English abaise. Deor (talk) 19:34, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Checking the reference, the weevil is actually Zyzzyva. And we do have an article on it. Tevildo (talk) 19:15, 19 October 2009 (UTC)