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Showerthoughts @lemmy.world kwot @lemmy.world 1y ago

I wonder if there's a parallel universe where children are called "childs" and adults are called "adultren"

Hmm.

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There's a theory that, at one time, "man" was a gender neutral term for persons and we called males "weremen" and obviously women "women"

That probably isn't true, but it's fun to think about a world where that was reversed.

EDIT Also evidently there was wifmann and wapman, which is an even funnier world to imagine.
- According to this, whether or not it is real:
  
  And we also see wæpman being specifically to refer to a man in relation to penetrative sex.
Not what you asked for, but Welsh has irregular plurals for adults and children, too:

Adult: oedolyn
Adults: oedolion

Child: plentyn
Children: plant

(Still learning, so I'm not too sure why or how)
- Always knew Wales was essentially living in a different dimension... 🤔 (lol, thanks for the tidbit!)
One of the best shower thoughts i’ve seen! 💖
yesn't
I’ve met some sweet southerners that already call children “childs.”
Now this is a shower thought.
They're cute until the terrible fourty twos.
“en” used to be the plural before “s”. Think “oxen” for example.
Certified shower thought
"Irwin, what is the plural of ox?"

— "Oxen! The farmer used his oxen!"

"Brian, what is the plural of box?"

— "Boxen. I bought two boxen of donuts."

"Irwin, what is the plural of goose?"

— "Geese! I saw a flock of geese!"

"Brian, what is the plural of moose?"

— "MOOSEN!"

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