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tarnal, passel
Jan. 5th, 2012 07:30 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
prettygoodword.livejournal.comSorrow for not posting last week. I'd blame traveling during inclement weather for missing my day, but I was already home by then, so in truth it was me just flaking. To make it up, here's two words this week.
tarnal (TAR-nuhl) - adj., damned.
passel (PAS-uhl) - n., an indeterminately large quantity or group.
Both of these are Americanisms. Tarnal is a dialect variation on eternal, as in eternal damnation, and like tarnation is a regional usage attested in the American colonies from the 18th century, before Independence. Passel is slightly later and more widespread -- it's an alteration of parcel dating from around 1830. Both are in the colloquial register, and the former counts as very mild cussing.
I told Jeb that if he keeps up like this, he'll have a passel of troubles, but the tarnal fool didn't listen to a word I said.
---L.
tarnal (TAR-nuhl) - adj., damned.
passel (PAS-uhl) - n., an indeterminately large quantity or group.
Both of these are Americanisms. Tarnal is a dialect variation on eternal, as in eternal damnation, and like tarnation is a regional usage attested in the American colonies from the 18th century, before Independence. Passel is slightly later and more widespread -- it's an alteration of parcel dating from around 1830. Both are in the colloquial register, and the former counts as very mild cussing.
I told Jeb that if he keeps up like this, he'll have a passel of troubles, but the tarnal fool didn't listen to a word I said.
---L.
