Hello

[Jembru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Welcome back. I do remember you and was wondering where you were and if maybe all the Japanese stuff could entice you back ^^ You might not remember me, but my avatar used to be a magpie if that rings any bells.

Great to have you back. You could have saved us a lot of time with the 'tte' debate though!! Ooooh, I could ask you so much, but I don't want the Japanese thread to fly off topic. Maybe when/if it dies down I can sneak some questions in.

And btw, yes, I can read your signature and no, I didn't look it up. They just happen to all be kanji I learned very early on and my brain has a strickt 'first one in, last one out' policy. Although I suspect you MAY have used the wrong kanji in 'kotoba'? Only just noticed that now. Isn't that kanji 'leaf' (I'm only guessing this from the 'grass' radical and the fact I assume it must be read 'ba')? I can't look it up because it is too small on my screen to count the strokes, but remember another kanji for kotoba. I'm extremely rusty though, so await correction!

[WillowMoon]

Hello to all!

Firstly, I am new, to the forum, and to my path. Eclectic Solitary Pagan would be the best fit. I live in Colorado. I have three cats, two who live with me, and one that lives with my parents. I love my cats to pieces and they are more like my children than animals. I work as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and I love it. I have many interests, which you all will probably get to know more when time goes on. I've been looking for an active Pagan forum for a while now, and yours seems the most active, and friendly, thus far. So I hope that I can meet people, gain knowledge and advice, here!

[Jembru]

Re: Hello to all!

Welcome to PF fellow feline fanatic! Glad you found us. This is a really friendly and supportive forum and I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as much as I do.

-Jem

[WillowMoon]

Re: Hello to all!

Welcome to PF fellow feline fanatic! Glad you found us. This is a really friendly and supportive forum and I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as much as I do.

-Jem

Thank you for such a warm welcome Jem! I'm glad I found you guys as well, and glad that I have found another cat lover!

[habbalah]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Hello and welcome back!

[habbalah]

Re: Hello to all!

Hello and welcome! I hope you enjoy it here!

[WillowMoon]

Re: Hello to all!

Hello and welcome! I hope you enjoy it here!

Thank you!

[Corvus]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

welcome back

[Zazaru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Welcome back. I do remember you and was wondering where you were and if maybe all the Japanese stuff could entice you back ^^ You might not remember me, but my avatar used to be a magpie if that rings any bells.

Great to have you back. You could have saved us a lot of time with the 'tte' debate though!! Ooooh, I could ask you so much, but I don't want the Japanese thread to fly off topic. Maybe when/if it dies down I can sneak some questions in.

And btw, yes, I can read your signature and no, I didn't look it up. They just happen to all be kanji I learned very early on and my brain has a strickt 'first one in, last one out' policy. Although I suspect you MAY have used the wrong kanji in 'kotoba'? Only just noticed that now. Isn't that kanji 'leaf' (I'm only guessing this from the 'grass' radical and the fact I assume it must be read 'ba')? I can't look it up because it is too small on my screen to count the strokes, but remember another kanji for kotoba. I'm extremely rusty though, so await correction!

Sweety, with all due respect, don't try to correct someone who knows more than you do. Asking about alternate characters for kotoba is one thing, suggesting that I got them wrong is another. I only mean this as a gentle rebuke, but it will make for less embarrassing situations if you do an independent fact check first.

You were right in remembering another character for "word", though. There is another way to write kotoba that is used in more formal situations. It's 詞. For most situations, including older documents, the characters are as listed in my signature: 言葉. Yes, that's a leaf. Its literal meaning might be construed as "word leaves" or more artistically "spoken pieces". The two character version is actually closer to the phonemic meaning of the spoken Japanese and were the original characters assigned as much for their phonetic similarity as anything. The single character version is based on a borrowing and reinterpretation of a Chinese character for its meaning, which then had the reading added at a later date.

I hope that clears it up.

[Jembru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Thanks, I had a feeling you'd have an explanation. I actually didn't realise you could write some words more than one way and have to question why on earth I learnt the other version. I never even noticed the first time I read it, I just saw the first kanji and assumed it was kotoba. I actually thought it was just a typo from predictive typing, rather than it being a lack of knowledge. Of course I meant no disrespect. I just.. okay, I admit I found the signature a little arrogant when I very first read it, but I've known you before so know you meant it as a bit of fun.

Honestly though, I really didn't mean any disrespect and I am really glad you returned to the forums. Brushing up my Japanese was my New Year's resolution and I have a habit of becoming quite obsessive over New Year's resolutions. Questions pop up all the time while chatting with my boyf' and although my Japanese friends are a good help, they can't explain it as well as an English speaking scholar of the language can.

---------- Post added at 09:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------

Ach, I now have a confession...

I'm guilty as charged at being very lazy when it comes to looking things up myself. Well, even the alternate kanji you suggested, looked wrong to me. So I decided to get down my old notes and check for myself. I found kotoba written EXACTLY as you had, in my handwriting. I had a flick through and I found the kanji I was thinking of and.. it has nothing in common with 'ha' whatsoever and is part of a different compound. Maybe I should start reading again.

[kijani]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Dude! Welcome back!!!! xD

[Zazaru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Thanks, I had a feeling you'd have an explanation. I actually didn't realise you could write some words more than one way and have to question why on earth I learnt the other version. I never even noticed the first time I read it, I just saw the first kanji and assumed it was kotoba. I actually thought it was just a typo from predictive typing, rather than it being a lack of knowledge. Of course I meant no disrespect. I just.. okay, I admit I found the signature a little arrogant when I very first read it, but I've known you before so know you meant it as a bit of fun.

Honestly though, I really didn't mean any disrespect and I am really glad you returned to the forums. Brushing up my Japanese was my New Year's resolution and I have a habit of becoming quite obsessive over New Year's resolutions. Questions pop up all the time while chatting with my boyf' and although my Japanese friends are a good help, they can't explain it as well as an English speaking scholar of the language can.

---------- Post added at 09:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------

Ach, I now have a confession...

I'm guilty as charged at being very lazy when it comes to looking things up myself. Well, even the alternate kanji you suggested, looked wrong to me. So I decided to get down my old notes and check for myself. I found kotoba written EXACTLY as you had, in my handwriting. I had a flick through and I found the kanji I was thinking of and.. it has nothing in common with 'ha' whatsoever and is part of a different compound. Maybe I should start reading again.

Hey, no worries. I like to be helpful when I can.

As for my signature, you actually weren't misreading my intent. I'm an arrogant bastard who likes to knock self-righteous pricks, poseurs, and idiots off their pedestals on a regular basis, so while my signature is primarily meant as a joke I also thoroughly enjoy its ability to dig at overeager Japanese enthusiasts with more bluster than sense.

Yes, I do think that I'm smarter than most other people that I come into contact with, but that's my own flaw and I'm perfectly content to acknowledge it and deal with it as I can.

Let me know if I can do anything for you.

---------- Post added at 04:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 AM ----------

On another note, thanks for the well-wishes and welcomes, everyone!

[Jembru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Hey, no worries. I like to be helpful when I can.

As for my signature, you actually weren't misreading my intent. I'm an arrogant bastard who likes to knock self-righteous pricks, poseurs, and idiots off their pedestals on a regular basis, so while my signature is primarily meant as a joke I also thoroughly enjoy its ability to dig at overeager Japanese enthusiasts with more bluster than sense.

Yes, I do think that I'm smarter than most other people that I come into contact with, but that's my own flaw and I'm perfectly content to acknowledge it and deal with it as I can.

Let me know if I can do anything for you.

---------- Post added at 04:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 AM ----------

On another note, thanks for the well-wishes and welcomes, everyone!

Lol, I actually hate that too. It seems to be most common amongst native speakers of English and not unique to Japanese (although maybe more frequent), but a lot of people who can speak a second language act like it is some kind of superpower. But come ON, you surely can't think I am like that? I couldn't write more often that my Japanese is poor. It's a trait too ugly in others, for me to want to display it myself, and forgive me if I do bite back a bit if you get too self-righteous around me. I don't really like conflict, but I can't deny my instincts as a natural red-head!

What I DO like, is a good juicy discussion/dissection of language, so even if we squabble at times, because I can be stubborn and insist on getting a native's perspective before I admit you were right, I do hope we'll be able to have some good discussions.

I'm hyperactive and as such I can be clumsy with my words, especially when I get over-excited. So all I ask of you and everyone else here, is that if I ever say something that can be taken two ways, please, for the love of peace, trust I meant it the nice way!!

Can I ask stuff in here or should we start another thread? I just don't want to dominate Kijani's thread and make it untidy. It wouldn't be fair on anyone wanting to follow it in order to learn.

[Zazaru]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Lol, I actually hate that too. It seems to be most common amongst native speakers of English and not unique to Japanese (although maybe more frequent), but a lot of people who can speak a second language act like it is some kind of superpower. But come ON, you surely can't think I am like that? I couldn't write more often that my Japanese is poor. It's a trait too ugly in others, for me to want to display it myself, and forgive me if I do bite back a bit if you get too self-righteous around me. I don't really like conflict, but I can't deny my instincts as a natural red-head!

What I DO like, is a good juicy discussion/dissection of language, so even if we squabble at times, because I can be stubborn and insist on getting a native's perspective before I admit you were right, I do hope we'll be able to have some good discussions.

I'm hyperactive and as such I can be clumsy with my words, especially when I get over-excited. So all I ask of you and everyone else here, is that if I ever say something that can be taken two ways, please, for the love of peace, trust I meant it the nice way!!

Can I ask stuff in here or should we start another thread? I just don't want to dominate Kijani's thread and make it untidy. It wouldn't be fair on anyone wanting to follow it in order to learn.

My signature actually wasn't directed at you, anymore than it's directed at anyone. It's been my signature for years. I was just confirming that, yes, it is as arrogant as you thought it was when you read it the first time.

Anyway, I am happy to answer any questions that you have, here or in another thread. I may be an arrogant know-it-all bastard, but I'm nothing if not a polite and courteous one.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Hello, Again... Again...

Welcome Back!