Chinese origin for 'shiny'??
POSTED BY: DarkJester
UPDATED: Friday, February 1, 2008 12:30
VIEWED: 19569
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Just a passing curiousity, but is there any chance that the word "shiny", as is so often used in Firefly, has a Chinese or Mandarin connection? Something close, perhaps like "shi nia" or "shya nee"? I'm confirming my total ignorance of all Chinese dialects here, but was just wondering...
MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."
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Quote:
Originally posted by DarkJester:
Just a passing curiousity, but is there any chance that the word "shiny", as is so often used in Firefly, has a Chinese or Mandarin connection?
MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."
The word "shiny" is the word "shiny".
Its origins as a word used for a positive description most likely has roots in the same way that "cool" was coined by Africans who came to America.
Think dusty, dirty frontier. Think pollution so thick that you can't see the stars.
Think grime.
When you're in such an environment, what would be pretty, fine and all around great?
Why, something shiny!
Think of the word "cool". African-Americans coined the term "cool" for great, fine, etc.
Long story short, coming from a tropic or very arid and hot clime, cool water becomes a valued commodity. It's something you offer guests in your home.
Something fine and great would be compared to "cool water". Or just "cool".
[If this happens to post twice, I apologize. There seems to be a problem with the Post button.]
"Take me, sir. Take me hard."
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Wow. I like that reasoning.
_________
Sliders: Gate Haven - http://slidersweb.net/blinker
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Quote:
Originally posted by DarkJester:
Just a passing curiousity, but is there any chance that the word "shiny", as is so often used in Firefly, has a Chinese or Mandarin connection? Something close, perhaps like "shi nia" or "shya nee"? I'm confirming my total ignorance of all Chinese dialects here, but was just wondering...
MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."
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Quote:
Originally posted by Blinker:
Wow. I like that reasoning.
_________
Sliders: Gate Haven - http://slidersweb.net/blinker
I think there's a more space-oriented use of it too, as seen in the pilot opener. Wash reports that the alliance cruiser is "shiny" i.e. the engines are pointing in thelr direction which means they're going away from our heroes... so it's showing the "shiny end", hot jets blasting and all that could mean to a spacefaring race.
It would definitely slip into the vernacular over time.
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There is also a lamer reason the word shows up in Firefly. I was recently watching the Season 3 dvds of Angel. In one of the episode (no idea which one) Cordelia replies to something Angel said with "Shiny!"
That threw when I first heard it, because I always thought it was special to Firefly, but obviously the word's been around Joss' block before.
---
Raven's Prayer
http://webpages.charter.net/anjinm
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I'm over in England and I used shiny as an expression for something being cool a long time before firefly came out. It's not a hugely common phrase, but it certainly exists.
With Joss' love of England, maybe he picked it up in his time over here?
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Quote:
Originally posted by chronicthehedgehog:
With Joss' love of England, maybe he picked it up in his time over here?
what is joss' connection with england? i remember a story he told on one of the commentaries about being there. i've noticed several british phrases in firefly. i was listening to the who's tommy and thought 'hey, mal says that'. i forget what it was though.
"They say the snow on the roof is too heavy. They say the ceiling will cave in. His brains are in terrible danger."
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He spent a lot of his school years over here if I remember correctly, and fell in love with the place. Can't say I blame him really....
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