On Sat, Jan 26, 2008 at 08:21:47AM -0500, Karen Thomas wrote: >For this post, I'm going to ignore DNA and focus only on show > conventions. >[] > Whatever rules you use - DNA or Show definitions - it doesn't change > anything. Icelandic's are ponies, any way you cut it.
well, there is another set of rules available, which is the rules of translation. when translating between languages, it is customary to use not only the semantics of a word, but also, when possible, its sound, derivation, and semiotics. so icelandic "hestur" is closer in sound to english "horse", closer to it in derivation from proto-germanic "*khursa" (as opposed to old english "eoh"), and closer in what it signifies (Equus caballus) to english "horse". (for example, my barn is said in english to have "twelve horses", not "eleven horses and a pony".) so if you cut it like a linguist, "horse" is a very good translation of "hestur", and "pony" (from french "poulenet" "little foal", from latin "pullus" "young of a domestic animal") is all kinds of wrong. i realize this applies specifically to icelandics, and not to say shetlands, who come more naturally via the scottish "powny" (from the french and old french). there's also the rules of good manners. if i meet a rather masculine-looking individual who says, "hi, my name is mrs linda brown" i do not make inquiries into her dna, the laws of the government regarding gender, or anything else -- i say "pleased to meet you, mrs brown" and refer to her as "her", not "him". to do otherwise would be in my opinion surpassingly rude. --vicka
