I like the theory that the word is made to look like the animal. The s is the face, the h is the fin, and the k is the tail: shark. I'm sure that's not actually true but it is fun lol
I study languages for fun and though English can be grating at this point (native speaker but typically in a Spanish/Mandarin environment) one thing I’ll give it is a lot of words do sound like what they mean — and though I’m surely biased as a native speaker there are some words that are just very satisfying:
13 Comments
SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 23 pts · 3d
Sharks don't "infest" waters, they LIVE there.
lauha@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3d
People infest waters
Tikiporch@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 3d
I never put my feat in waters.
TheTechnician27@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 3d
According to Wiktionary, the etymology of "shark" beyond Middle English is unknown – and even there, we only see it once in 1442.
Edit: the Online Etymology Dictionary has more.
YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth · 13 pts · 3d
I like the theory that the word is made to look like the animal. The s is the face, the h is the fin, and the k is the tail: shark. I'm sure that's not actually true but it is fun lol
Elgenzay@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 3d
Even the word itself looks like a shark
VGpunx@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 3d
You are 110% right!
ceenote@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 3d
They just look sharky, you know?
MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 3d
I dunno, that one kinda looks like a toothy potato.
undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch · 5 pts · 3d
I study languages for fun and though English can be grating at this point (native speaker but typically in a Spanish/Mandarin environment) one thing I’ll give it is a lot of words do sound like what they mean — and though I’m surely biased as a native speaker there are some words that are just very satisfying:
…probably a lot more I can’t think of.
Danarchy@lemmy.nz · 5 pts · 3d
Similarly, whoever named “scabies” really nailed it
Valo85@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 3d
Even in Mandarin the name（鲨鱼） is a homophone with the word for 'kill' 杀
remon@ani.social · 1 pts · 3d
Hai!