On Thu, 30 Jun 2005, Kevin S. Wilson wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 21:00:38 +0000 (UTC), (Glitter
> Ninja) wrote:
>
>> Goomba38 > writes:
>>
>>> No need to say "spaghetti noodles" instead of just spaghetti (linguini,
>>> ravioli, macaroni...)
>>> It grates on the ear.
>>
>> OK, I'll do whatever you say.
>
> Not so fast. Goomba (if that is his real name) would be correct except
> for one troublesome fact: linguini, ravioli, and macaroni all
> originated in Italy, while spaghetti noodles is an Americanized type of
> Italian pasta that has always been referred to as "spaghetti noodles."
> The development of spaghetti noodles is similar to that of chow mein, a
> "Chinese" dish that originated in San Francisco, California.
Also, we are writing in American English, not Italian. (Well, Goomba
might be speaking some other bastar^Wvariation of English.) To some
"spaghetti" is short of "spaghetti dinner", so to speak of "spaghetti" is
to speak of a particular preparation of spaghetti noodles, marinara sauce,
and delicious garlic bread. So "spaghetti noodles" is a valid way to
specify an ingredient, as we don't have another name for them.
--Jeremy
[1] Similarly, in American "salsa" refers to a specific preparation of
fruits, vegetables, and seasonings. In Spanish, it just means "sauce".
My point, and I do have one, is that when we borrow a word from another
language, we don't necessarily borrow the meaning.
--
Jeremy Impson
jdimpson can be contacted at acm dot org
http://impson.tzo.com/~jdimpson