• RiderExMachina@lemmy.mlEnglish
    17·
    11 months ago

    It’s kinda true, but less exciting than the person made it sound.

    gargoyle (n.)

    “grotesque carved waterspout,” connected to the gutter of a building to throw down water clear of the wall … from Old French gargole

    gargle (v.)

    1520s, from French gargouiller “to gurgle, bubble” (14c.), from Old French gargole “throat, waterspout”

    https://www.etymonline.com/word/gargoyle

    https://www.etymonline.com/word/gargle

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      11 months ago

      Those are two different words though. If the OP had said they were related I wouldn’t protest because they likely are. But they stated it as a fact, which we do not know to be true.

      • SorryQuick@lemmy.caEnglish
        61·
        11 months ago

        In french, gargoyle is “gargouille”. The verb to gargle is “gargouiller”. Used in a sentence, the word is the exact same. “Il se gargouille”/“He gargles”.

        I don’t know, to me it seems pretty clear they’re related.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          11 months ago

          Related yes, “comes from” (the claim made here) we don’t know that for sure

          • SorryQuick@lemmy.caEnglish
            21·
            11 months ago

            I mean, that can be said for literally everything, no? What kind of proof would you need? Everything about languages and the evolution of words is studied by experts, and I am not one of them, so what else can I do but take their word for it?

            If you look up their ethymology online, they are both from the same word. The wikitionary entry also claims it does come from it. https://fr.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/gargouille