I was reading an article about Kurdistan, using the word peshmurga, meaning "a strong security force." As far as I know, we don't have a word like that, do we?
pishmarg is the Persian form of this word (Kurdish is an Iranian language). It comprises of "pish" (pre-) and "marg" (death). It means pre-dier. One who dies before another one so that s/he would remain alive. For example, a bodyguard used to be pishmarg of his boss. Or a mother "who saves her child from a car accident and instead she herself dies" has become pishmarg of her child.
---------------------- Hamdeli az hamzabâni behtar ast To be one in heart is better than to be one in tongue
look pesh means "to face" murge means death. Peshmerga means the ones who face death. that's a translation. the book that says "a strong security force" was probably written by a journalist or politician that never left the base or did anything important in Iraq.
But I think you are being a bit harsh. The importation of foreign words into English very commonly involves an extension of the native meaning. There's no reason to conclude that those who use the imported words, or even initiate the importation, are REMFs.
The MF in REMF is equivalent to that in JAMF, another acronym beginning jive-ass ... You may find its expansion here in this list of US Marine Corps vocabulary. It's a pejorative term for somebody who has a non-combatant role in some conflict.
Several years ago, one of my opponents in a postal chess tournament always ended his reply with the word "Maranathara." I asked him several times what it meant but he always ignored the question.
Anyone ever heard of the word and know its meaning? I hope he wasn't insulting my ability to play chess.
Maranathara is a Sanskrit word. The closest English equivalent is probably red herring. It was used to describe an act that was done primarily to psychologically confuse an opponent.
Originally posted by Valentine: Maranathara is a Sanskrit word. The closest English equivalent is probably red herring. It was used to describe an act that was done primarily to psychologically confuse an opponent.
Where did you hear this? I haven't been able to find it. The closest I can find is maraṇa or māraṇa, "death".
I think I threw in an extra "a" at the end of my original post, after seeing what followed. It's been about fifteen years since the incident and that's why they have a statute of limitations.
...I'm currently translating a movie which is in Kurdish into English...Actually, i do it thru Persian n the Directors help...this word "pishmarg" is used a lot n am lookin 4 a proper equivalent maintaining the original sense which is sth like an "escape goat" or "sticking-out neck"...they're actually soldiers, yet daring ones who fear not death...how would my wordcraft dudes opine on " (life-staker) veteran"?...in a linguistic twist, they actually both take others' lives n stake their own...oceans o' tnx in advance...
