Subject:
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Etymology of "mecha" and possible fixes
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.fun
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Date:
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Thu, 11 Mar 1999 21:27:57 GMT
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Reply-To:
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jsproat@geocities#spamless#.com
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Viewed:
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366 times
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Hey "mecha" fans,
I need a new word to describe large, walking machines with bad attitudes.
(1) The word in vogue right now -- "mecha" -- is an English transliteration
of a Japanese transliteration of the English word "machinery", which could
describe a Thunderhead Drive Industries BashMaimKill Destroyer Mark XVIIa as
well as an electic bread dough mixer. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
(2)
I'm looking for a better word. Does anyone have any ideas? What is used in
the popular media other than "mecha" or "mech"?
I think I'm starting to prefer the German "Gefahrengut", which the LEO
German <-> English Dictionary (3) tells me means "dangerous goods".
There's also "die Tollkirshen", meaning "deadly nightshades". I like this
one because it almost sounds like JRR Tolkien's name, but it doesn't really
refer to a machine. Perhaps I'll use this to designate a group of
assassins. They can all wear sunglasses. And work at night.
Arg, I'm stumped...
Cheers,
- jsproat
1. I'm also skeptical of the notion that large, walking devices of
questionable coordination will rule the industries and battlefields of the
future, but that's a topic I'm going to leave on the back burner for now.
:-P
2. Curiously, the word "anime" (an English transliteration of a Japanese
transliteration of the English word "animation") doesn't give me any
problems. I'm not going to worry about that right now, either. :-,
3. http://dictionaries.travlang.com/GermanEnglish/
--
Jeremy H. Sproat <jsproat@geocities.com>
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/5249/
"The world will not perish for want of wonders but for want of wonder"
-- British scientist J. B. S. Haldane (1892-1964)
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Etymology of "mecha" and possible fixes
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| (...) Thanks for the German2English link. Here's some I found that might help inspire you: noble metal -- das Edelmetall stalker -- der Anschleicher hacksaw -- die Metallsaege cutthroat -- Halsabschneider thug -- Strolch thug -- Verbrecher (...) (26 years ago, 12-Mar-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
| | | Re: Etymology of "mecha" and possible fixes
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| (...) I think "mecha" comes from "mechanized", as in "mechanized battle armor". FASA (I think) took it and "Americanized" it to "mech". (...) "Anime" is from French, BTW. In Japan, anything animated is called anime, including Disney. Jeff (26 years ago, 12-Mar-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
| | | Re: Etymology of "mecha" and possible fixes
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| (...) Maybe some prefix and suffix gymnastics will turn something up...lessee... (...) mega- monstr- gargantu- grande- (...) -ped -pod -saur robo- (...) disgruntl- clomp- stomp- smash- mash- havoc- tyranno- Putting those together, (...) (26 years ago, 15-Mar-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
| | | Re: Etymology of "mecha" and possible fixes
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| (...) I just remembered -- somewhere I read in an interview with George Lucas that the word Gungan was coined by Lucas's son. But his son didn't mean it to apply to a race of amphibious humanoid creatures (as it applies in SW Ep1). His son meant it (...) (26 years ago, 2-May-99, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)
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