this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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Memes

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Keep it simple (lemmy.ca)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by Lt_Worf@lemmy.ca to c/memes@lemmy.ml
 
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[–] CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

And reusing the same word to mean a plethora of completely unrelated things lol.

EG:

Jam = a fruit preserve, to play music, stopped traffic, a door that's held open, to cram something into something else

Set = a collection of something, to change an option on a device, when something gelatinous becomes more solid, when the sun goes down, a stage or movie background, a list of songs at a concert, to put something down, and about 50 other things

Run = to move quickly, to enter a contest (ie run for President), to have something turned on (is that computer running, running a tap), to be a certain length (this films run time is 90 minutes), to be behind (this bus is running late), to be in charge of something (I'm running this place), a hand in poker, to be liquid (this egg is runny), a tear in a pair of tights

[–] fristislurper@feddit.nl 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

German also does this. I think a good 20% of all verbs are just variations of "ziehen" (to pull).

[–] RQG@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Umziehen - to change clothes, to move to a new home

aufziehen - to tease or ridicule someone, to wind up a clockwork, to raise kids

abziehen - to leave, to scam someone, to pull something off something else

herziehen - to gossip about someone

Anziehen - to attract something, to put on clothes

Yeah there are some of these for ziehen. You might be on to something. But for many generic verbs there are many variants with vastly different meanings. Like Machen - to make, or tun - to do, gehen - to go.