We use "warmth" but not "coolth" – at least, not usually. New post on a rare word:
https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2024/08/16/birth-of-the-coolth/
Pleasantly surprised that my post on "coolth" has flushed out a couple of readers who regularly use this super-rare word
More on "coolth" at Language Hat: https://languagehat.com/coolth-shorth/
I've updated my post with other marvellous -th words from the OED, including arghth,* blueth, frumth, gloomth, ortrowth, and rimth: https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2024/08/16/birth-of-the-coolth/
* which sadly does not mean what I hoped
Readers who get a kick out of unfashionable affixes may also enjoy this post on obsolete be- words, such as:
BEBUTTER: to cover with butter (1611)
BEDINNER: to give a dinner to (1837)
BEMISSIONARY: to pester with missionaries (1884)
BEMONSTER: to make a monster of (1692)
BEPAW: to befoul as with paws (1684)
BETHWACK: to thwack soundly (1598)
BEWIZARD: to influence by a wizard (1862)
https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/bewondered-by-obsolete-be-words/
#words #language #OED #RareWords #linguistics #grammar #etymology #affixes
@stancarey Oh man... this could be a lot of fun to play with... beburger, bepizza, bekiss, betickle... verbs and nouns galore to try out. #FunWithWords
@mykl
I'm happy with "did you bedinner the cats?" (Also bebreakfast, beluncheon and besupper).
@stancarey
@SeaMonster @mykl It's so versatile! And a fun formula for becoining new words
@stancarey
I realise that written English would mean that "Begin" could have two meanings)spoken, the meaning would be clear)
@mykl
@stancarey
I'm wondering if French has an equivalent of the English be- (I'm off to French Polynesia and "be missionary" might come in useful).