quixotic

[eberntson]

1. extremely chivalrous; 2. motivated by idealism that is imaginative but not really practical; 3. having an idealistic or romanticized view of life

Synonyms: idealistic, chivalrous, spirited, unrealistic, impractical, wacky, romantic

Quixotic came from the character of Don Quixote, who was romantic and impractical. Use quixotic to describe ideals or plans that are lofty, unrealistic, far fetched, and often done to impress someone romantically.

[Slava]

Excellent word, and one I can't believe we haven't seen here before.

One thing that does get me is the pronunciation difference between the original and the derivative. We're not supposed to pronounce the "x" in the name, but we must in the adjective.

[LukeJavan8]

The old Don, tilting at windmills is quite an image.
Made a lovely musical years ago as well.
To dream the impossible dream.....ah, lovely.

[eberntson]

Yes, a good musical, and the Don was even more archetypical character in "Camino Real" by Tennessee Williams.

[LukeJavan8]

Ah, me thinks I see a "green man" in an avatar!
Could I be right??? Love the history, if so.

[beck123]

One thing that does get me is the pronunciation difference between the original and the derivative. We're not supposed to pronounce the "x" in the name, but we must in the adjective.

I've never heard anybody pronounce the adjective - I think everybody is afraid. When Cervantes wrote El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, somebody transliterated the "J" into an "x" for the English title. What were they thinking? Traditional Spanish has no "x," and the "x" in New World Spanish is pronounced "sh" with the one exception being the word "Mexico" and its derivatives. (Ixtal is pronounced Ishtal.)

The author's intention was clearly to have the "h" sound in "Quijote," so it should have been left as is - a Spanish surname - or transliterated as Quihote, Keehotay, or anything but Quixote.

I think the eponymous adjective, showing due respect to Sr. Cervantes' wishes, should be pronounced Kee-hot-ic.

[Slava]

We could have several thousand threads on transliteration, if we so desired. Who decides what, when, and how? It's an enigma.

Tchaikovsky? Gorbachev? Khrushchev? The list goes on.

[beck123]

Peiping? Peking? Beijing?

Who ordered the Beijing Duck?

And what wag changed the surname of a good percentage of Chinese families to "Dung?"

[LukeJavan8]

One thing that does get me is the pronunciation difference between the original and the derivative. We're not supposed to pronounce the "x" in the name, but we must in the adjective.

I've never heard anybody pronounce the adjective - I think everybody is afraid. When Cervantes wrote El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, somebody transliterated the "J" into an "x" for the English title. What were they thinking? Traditional Spanish has no "x," and the "x" in New World Spanish is pronounced "sh" with the one exception being the word "Mexico" and its derivatives. (Ixtal is pronounced Ishtal.)

The author's intention was clearly to have the "h" sound in "Quijote," so it should have been left as is - a Spanish surname - or transliterated as Quihote, Keehotay, or anything but Quixote.

I think the eponymous adjective, showing due respect to Sr. Cervantes' wishes, should be pronounced Kee-hot-ic.

I knew this, glad you pointed it out.

[LukeJavan8]

And the "sh" sound in Chinese is now transliterated
as X , is it not???? Xaioping = Showping.

[LukeJavan8]

I understand the Nguyen in so many Vietnamese
names is because all persons were required to
take the name of the King at one time in Vietnamese
history. But I stand to be corrected on that.

Yet so many Vietnamese people are named Nguyen.

[beck123]

Or "Ngo," pronounced "NO"

I once read that there are only a dozen or so family names in the heart of China, but I don't Ngo if this is true or not.

Along the same line (at least, having a similar outcome) was the habit in 17th- through 19th-Century German-speaking areas of naming children after grandparents. In areas of (what is today) southern Germany, it came to be that virtually every male was named Johann, and they were distinguished from each other by their middle names. In the church books I've examined from this period, most families would name the first male Johannes, with no middle name. I don't know if this is an artifact of the Latin used in the texts, or if the first child carried the elongated form of the name through life. I think that in other areas the names converged on Hans rather than Johann.

Women fared a little better with (and now I'm guesstimating from memory) 80% named Anna and the remainder Maria. Again, they were distinguished by middle names.

[LukeJavan8]

Interesting:

Icelandic people use their father's first name as the
beginning of their own last name.
Dad = Eric
Son= Hans Ericsson
Daughter= Olga Ericsdottir

and so on:
Dad=Hans
Son=Lars Hanssen
Daughter=Lena Hansdottir.

Must be a mess to trace geneology.

[beck123]

Must be a mess to trace geneology.

Actually, Iceland has the best-preserved and most reliable genealogy of any European country. China's may go back farther, but it only traces males and is nowhere near as inclusive (even among males) as that of Iceland. Icelandic family histories are used regularly in genetic research because of the isolation of the families they trace, their reliability, and the great span of time they cover (well over 1,000 years.)

If you've never read a modern translation of "Sagas of Icelanders," you're in for a treat. I recommend it for carrying yourself through the winter. If you're a fast reader, you may have time before spring to enjoy the "Heimskringla," as well. These are most definitely not dry histories. The former relates stories of more-or-less everyday individuals and their notable actions around the time of the founding of the Viking colonies in Iceland. The latter, a staple in Swedish households, is a history of the Viking era told through the lives of the Norwegian and Swedish royalty. Heimskringla begins with a short, mythical section, but moves quickly into historical events. The action in both ends just after 1,000 A.D., with the conversion of Scandanavia to Christianity - the end of the true Viking era. I found both to be absolutely spellbinding, and they both taught me much about what it means to be a man in any age.

Note: The poetic portions of both compilations can take some getting used to. They use a few poetic devices that are unfamiliar to us, so look before you purchase, and be sure to use an edition that is accompanied by interpretive notes.

[LukeJavan8]

That sounds absolutely right up my alley.
Where do I find these? On the internet probably. What
do I look up?