Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: may day (era: the meaning of O.K.)

Mi è venuta in mente un' altra cosa del genere, e cioè che l'espressione
'may day' deriva dal francese e non dall'inglese. Infatti pare risalga a
'm'aider' o 'm'aidez' , quindi all'invocazione 'aiutatemi' in francese.
Qualcuno me lo può confermare?
ciao
Chrisa

 wrote in message
fc.005b90b0004740a33b...@insieme.net...

Dear Cristina,
Another popular misconception.
I hope the following will answer your question.
"The international Morse code distress signal, S.O.S., is another "word"
with a false acronymic origin. S.O.S. does not stand for Save Our Souls,
Save Our Ship, Stop Other Signals, Sure Of Sinking, or any other phrase.
S.O.S. was chosen as the universal distress signal by the International
Radio Telegraph Convention of July 1908 because this combination of letters,
three dots followed by three dashes followed by three dots (...---...), was
easy to send and easily recognised. The letters themselves are meaningless.
The first recorded mention of the false acronymic origin is in reference to
the Titanic sinking of 1912, which may account for its wide spread and
endurance.
Prior to 1908, the high seas distress signal consisted of the letters
C.Q.D., another nonsense string, although many took it to mean Come Quickly,
Danger. Use of C.Q.D. continued past 1908, and the Titanic's initial
distress calls used this older signal. It was not until that ship was near
sinking did the radiomen send out the new signal."
--
I remain, as always, ecc., ecc.,
Bambi
dtb

...
Eh, ma quello che segue risponde alla questione su S.O.S., non a quella su
'may day'. Qual e` l'effettiva origine di 'may day'?
Personalmente, poi, trovo l'acronimo (sia pur falso) "Save Our Sols"
talmente intrigante da meritare comunque una permanenza nella nostra
fantasia.
Ciao.

 'may day'. Qual e` l'effettiva origine di 'may day'?
Dear Giovanni,
See what mischief one can get up to on a mid-summer's night? My apologies.
With regard to mayday (one word), I post the following from the American
Heritage Dictionary:
mayday (mā´dā´) noun
An international radiotelephone signal word used by aircraft and ships in
distress.
 [From French m'aidez, help me!.]
 Word History: "Mayday, mayday!" comes the international distress signal
over the radio, and nobody stops to ask why the first of May is being
mentioned at a time of crisis. Mayday, in fact, has nothing to do with the
first of May. Instead, it is a spelling that represents the pronunciation of
French m'aidez, "help me," or the latter part of the phrase venez m'aider,
"come help me," either of which are quite appropriate at such a critical
juncture.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
copyright 1992


 See what mischief one can get up to on a mid-summer's night?
Ehm... Is it because a may day is a mid-summer's day ?... ;-)))))
Sbaglio o avevi detto che l'espressione "may day" NON derivava
da "m'aidez", mentre adesso hai dimostrato, citazioni alla mano,
che DERIVA da "m'aidez" ?... :-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
--
Er Roscio.

 wrote in message
8h59mu$oiu$5...@fe2.cs.interbusiness.it...

Dear Roscio,
I believe I was referring to S.O.S which is popularly believed to stand for
various phrases and I posted an excerpt where it says that this is in fact
not the case. Is this what you are referring to?
I have caused confusion, obviously, by being foolish enough to post on the
subject of S.O.S. under a thread which was in fact about Mayday, formerly
about O.K.
I still blame it on the midsummer's night, given that I posted at about half
past midnight..technically day, but let's not get into that right now.
Profuse apologies for confusion caused, with prescribed lashed with a wet
noodle
due, I know.


 not the case. Is this what you are referring to?
Yes, and I understood that yours was a mistake, but you're so lovely when
you apologize !...
:-PPPPPPPPPPPPP
--
Er rOSCIO.

 :-PPPPPPPPPPPPP
Dear Roscio,
No court would be complete without it's Knave  and I do believe you fit the
calling quite admirably.
So shall it be. I trust you will not disappoint us in your new role: you
have not done so to date and we have every confidence you will carry the
banner proudly.
Hoping for another occasion in the not to distant future when I might have
recourse to apologise again, for you,


 Ciao! Si, te lo posso confermare, infatti 'may day' deriva dal francese
'm'aidez', 'aiutatemi'.Judy

 recourse to apologise again, for you,
Hum... don't you think this one is a good occasion ?... :-)))))))
--
Er Roscio.
(take it easy, babe !... :-)))))