The problem with "do"
Has it occurred to anyone that the verb "to do," does not occur in almost all other languages. What does "do" mean? Try to explain that to a non-English speaking person.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gerald Shuler on -
If I were explaining the word "do" to a non-english speaking person I think the definition would be something like this: " 'Do' is a word that replaces another word, like 'accomplish'. 'I want to accomplish a lot' is the same as 'I want to do a lot.' But the word 'do' is easier to pronounce."
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Permalink Reply by LauraLee Shaw on -
I would probably sing a Julie Andrews song...but I would need a guitar player.
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Permalink Reply by Kimmie on -
It never occurred to me but now you have my brain in gear~
Hmmm.....interesting.
Are you sure? :)
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Grimwood on -
'To do' means to go number two! :) Yeah, I'm not much help there...
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Permalink Reply by Paul Dawn on -
Hi Dub,
How do you do my friend!
Hope you are doing well and wondering if you would do us a favor and explain to us how you would do it, explain the word do!
I know that you can do it!!
I am doing well my friend, will, I will close for now, I have a lot of things to do :-)
Paul
Doing well in Dallas, Georgia
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Permalink Reply by Magrajack on -
The verb, to do....hahahahahahahaaaaaa
I thought do was a noun in at least one case.
Do is what you step in if you're a dog owner mowing the lawn.
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Permalink Reply by Darlene Hight on -
'Tis not an easy one, Dub. It really does depend on how it is being used.
For instance, you have things like - "What do you do with a drunken sailor? which does not fit with the accomplish explanation. So the explaination has to be really long for instance- "What action would you take if confronted with a drunken sailor?"
Very mind boggling, indeed.
Darlene
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Permalink Reply by Pat on -
Dub, wouldn't it depend on what language you are teaching? If 'to do' indicates action then what word represents action in that language?
Besides my friend, you've already thought about this. ;)
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Permalink Reply by Catrina Bradley on -
To perform an action...
I wouldn't say "accomplish" because that means (to me) successfully complete.
But then, hmmm....
I do the laundry
I do the impossible (not!)
I do my hair
I do love my internet friends
Do you mean that?
Yes, I do.
How do you do?
I do fine, thank you.
I did five miles on the treadmill today (NOT!)
Rich Little did Nixon to a tee.
You can do someone in.
You can do time.
But don't make a big to do over it.
I'm done in.
This list doesn't do me justice.
Do you see what dub means?
English ROCKS!
;)
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Permalink Reply by Maren on -
Taking a slight detour, why does the English language have so many words that sound the same but are spelled differently.
Do, due, dew. Where, wear, ware. See, sea. Right, write, rite. Sight, site. Arrant, errant. Assay, essay. Aught, ought. Bare, bear. Bail, bale. Hour, our. Karat, carrot, caret, carat. And on and on.
Why couldn't we just come up with another sounding word to describe the situation. Why so many that sound the same.
Maren
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Permalink Reply by Magrajack on
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You are right
Take a look at the English word, "gift".
We have only one word to explain a whole host of stuff spread right across our language.
I did a word study on, gift, in both New Testament Greek and Hebrew. There are 5 separate words in the Greek alone, for our one, that cater for different types of, what we call, gift.
In the apostle Paul's letters, we see him struggling with the explanation of what God gives us from His heart. This leads him to coin a new word, "charismoi", or, to us, charisma. To Paul, this word explained the special kind of giving between God and man.....(people). We got hold of it and changed the meaning to, "one of smooth character", because, like always, we English speaking people, somehow seem to know better than everyone else.
But even our verb, to know, comes from the Greek.
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