Replacement puns

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Khemehekis
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Replacement puns

Post by Khemehekis »

We have a number of these in English:

bikini -> monokini (replacing bi- with mono-, as if the bi- in "bikini" were the prefix for two)
utopia -> dystopia (as if the u- in "utopia" were eu-; cf. euphemism/dysphemism, euphoric/dysphoric, and the like)
history -> herstory (replacing "his" with "hers")
other feminist coinages such as "femstruate" and "cuntroach"
copyright -> copyleft (as if the "right" in "copyright" referred to the political spectrum rather than legal rights)
me too -> me three (as if the "too" in "me too" were "two")

What are some replacement puns in other natlangs? Do you have any in any of your conlangs?
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Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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eldin raigmore
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Re: Replacement puns

Post by eldin raigmore »

“Pun-ish”?
Khemehekis
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Re: Replacement puns

Post by Khemehekis »

eldin raigmore wrote: 08 Oct 2022 15:07 “Pun-ish”?
As in, to punish with puns? That's just a straight-up pun, not a replacement pun. For it to be a replacement pun, the word has to replace the punned-upon part of a word with another word/root that implies that replaced part.
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Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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Creyeditor
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Re: Replacement puns

Post by Creyeditor »

German has "frau" 'one (female)' for "man" 'one' as if it was "Mann" 'man' and could be replaced with "Frau" 'woman'. (Note the different capitalizations!)
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Khemehekis
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Re: Replacement puns

Post by Khemehekis »

Creyeditor wrote: 26 Jan 2024 19:01 German has "frau" 'one (female)' for "man" 'one' as if it was "Mann" 'man' and could be replaced with "Frau" 'woman'. (Note the different capitalizations!)
I never knew about that, but that's fun! Sounds as if Teutonophone feminists are playing the same word games as Anglophone feminists.
♂♥♂♀

Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels

My Kankonian-English dictionary: 86,336 words and counting

31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
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