Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2015 October 22

= October 22 =

what's the deal with double periods/exclamation points
Why do people sometimes end their sentences with multiple (usually two) periods or exclamation points? I see this all the time (example.) People from the Indian subcontinent seem to be particularly fond of doing this. Is it some typographic convention in Dravidian languages which they carry over into English, or is it a personal idiosyncrasy? Asmrulz (talk) 12:54, 22 October 2015 (UTC)


 * It's a personal ideosyncracy.. KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( もしもし！ ) 13:18, 22 October 2015 (UTC)


 * Extra exclamation marks are used as a means to convey more excitement, although not a good idea, as soon everyone gets annoyed rather than excited by reading such text. As for extra periods, probably just a typo. StuRat (talk) 14:43, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Three or more full stops (or periods) make an ellipsis; "...that usually indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning. Depending on their context and placement in a sentence, ellipses can also indicate an unfinished thought, a leading statement, a slight pause, a mysterious or echoing voice, or a nervous or awkward silence. Aposiopesis is the use of an ellipsis to trail off into silence..." Alansplodge (talk) 15:22, 22 October 2015 (UTC)


 * Extra emphasis. The more exclamation points, the more emphasis. I would say more likely to be used by touchy-feely types. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:44, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * This is offset by the overuse of ellipses... which make one look as slow/sluggish/depressed/too lazy to finish one's thoughts/whatever, rather than excited... Which can hardly be what people who write like this, intend... Asmrulz (talk) 23:56, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Your characterization doesn't match your usage, which merely indicates pauses. And one good thing about using dots instead of dashes is that there won't be any arguments about which type of dash to use. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:24, 23 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Or a bad thing, since it robs some people of an opportunity to pontificate on the correct use of dashes.Sjö (talk) 09:20, 23 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Extra emphasis!!!eleventyone111!!! Sleigh (talk) 01:15, 23 October 2015 (UTC)


 * See this old thread in which I mentioned that Charles Schulz did this. -- BenRG (talk) 19:50, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Native speaker (Ukrainian): Please Help!
For an article I would like to have a good (English or German) translation for the following 8 lines of a poem (cited here (Google Translator results in "C.S. Lewis text"). Thanks! Bikkit ! (talk) 15:34, 22 October 2015 (UTC)

Питалися козака: «Що то за причина, Що в вас гола голова, А зверху чуприна?»

«А причина то така: Як на війні згину - Мене ангел понесе В небо за чуприну»

xxx: "xxx xxx, xxx? "

"xxx: xxx - xxx xxx."


 * Pinging who is our resident linguist, I believe she is native or fluent in Rusyn language, which I think is closely related to Ukranian.  -- Jayron 32 16:09, 22 October 2015 (UTC)


 * I am actually going to see a native Ukrainian speaker in a few hours, and will get back, but this is pretty clear, although I am not certain especially of the second and third lines of the second stanza:


 * The Cossack is asked:
 * "What is the reason
 * For your naked head,
 * with a ("and") top knot?"


 * "And the reason is this:
 * As the war turns - (in the bend of the battle)
 * An angel will bear me
 * To heaven by the chupryna"


 * This is close enough to the Russian that and  may have a better translation. μηδείς (talk) 16:45, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * I believe it is згинути = погибнуть = to die, perish. So, "The Cossack was asked, 'what is the reason for your naked head, and the lock/chupryna on top?' 'This is the reason: when I die in the war, an angel will bear me to heaven by my chupryna.'" Lesgles (talk) 17:47, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Yes, that makes much better sense. My informant comments that the statement has an apocalyptic tone to it. μηδείς (talk) 20:04, 22 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Thanks a lot! I appreciate your help very much! Bikkit ! (talk) 06:01, 23 October 2015 (UTC)