Marco Bagli
@marbagli.bsky.social
🌱Cognitive linguist based in Perugia, Italy
🍄Working on food, perception, and Englishes across space, time and cultures
🍄Working on food, perception, and Englishes across space, time and cultures
This is not specific only to mushrooms. Rather, it seems to be a general tendency in naming strategies for wildlife.
two mushrooms are growing in a mossy area and one of them has water drops on it
ALT: two mushrooms are growing in a mossy area and one of them has water drops on it
media.tenor.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:16 PM
This is not specific only to mushrooms. Rather, it seems to be a general tendency in naming strategies for wildlife.
Selected from where? This is the juicy bit. The information reported in common names of mushrooms are a repository of ecological knowledge about the species, which derives from close observations and attention to the shape, color, habitat, and habits of growth of the mushrooms.
November 30, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Selected from where? This is the juicy bit. The information reported in common names of mushrooms are a repository of ecological knowledge about the species, which derives from close observations and attention to the shape, color, habitat, and habits of growth of the mushrooms.
Thus: the shape of the cap is metonymically selected to represent the whole fungus. Its name is associated to a drinking vessel. The season of growth of the fungus is further metonymically selected to refer to the whole fungus.
a man in a striped shirt is looking at his cell phone and saying hmm ok .
ALT: a man in a striped shirt is looking at his cell phone and saying hmm ok .
media.tenor.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Thus: the shape of the cap is metonymically selected to represent the whole fungus. Its name is associated to a drinking vessel. The season of growth of the fungus is further metonymically selected to refer to the whole fungus.
For instance, the mushroom in the picture is a “winter chanterelle”: the name chanterelle derives from “kantharos” (pic from Wikipedia), a drinking vessel with a distinctive shape similar to this mushroom. The premodifier “winter” describes the preferred season of growth.
November 30, 2024 at 2:16 PM
For instance, the mushroom in the picture is a “winter chanterelle”: the name chanterelle derives from “kantharos” (pic from Wikipedia), a drinking vessel with a distinctive shape similar to this mushroom. The premodifier “winter” describes the preferred season of growth.
Most common names of mushrooms are motivated by a metonymic construal of the fungus, which selects a relevant part of the fungus to name it. Some of these operations are also intertwined with metaphors.
a cartoon drawing of a mushroom with a happy face
ALT: a cartoon drawing of a mushroom with a happy face
media.tenor.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Most common names of mushrooms are motivated by a metonymic construal of the fungus, which selects a relevant part of the fungus to name it. Some of these operations are also intertwined with metaphors.