this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2024
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Microblog Memes

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

It's kinda true, but less exciting than the person made it sound.

gargoyle (n.)

"grotesque carved waterspout," connected to the gutter of a building to throw down water clear of the wall ... from Old French gargole

gargle (v.)

1520s, from French gargouiller "to gurgle, bubble" (14c.), from Old French gargole "throat, waterspout"

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gargoyle

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gargle

[–] [email protected] -3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Those are two different words though. If the OP had said they were related I wouldn't protest because they likely are. But they stated it as a fact, which we do not know to be true.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

In french, gargoyle is “gargouille”. The verb to gargle is “gargouiller”. Used in a sentence, the word is the exact same. “Il se gargouille”/“He gargles”.

I don’t know, to me it seems pretty clear they’re related.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Related yes, "comes from" (the claim made here) we don't know that for sure

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I mean, that can be said for literally everything, no? What kind of proof would you need? Everything about languages and the evolution of words is studied by experts, and I am not one of them, so what else can I do but take their word for it?

If you look up their ethymology online, they are both from the same word. The wikitionary entry also claims it does come from it. https://fr.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/gargouille