Klarinet Archive - Posting 000553.txt from 1996/04

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <mcheramy@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: repentine ???
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 11:44:59 -0400

>O.K. -- I'm ignorant. I do not know the meaning of repentine nor
>can I find it in the office dictionary. It was used in a post to
>this list earlier today, but I do not remember the context. Can
>someone tell me what it means?
>BTW- I used it as a search request to Alta Vista; I got many
>"hits" most of which seem to be in Italian. The one in
>English refers to a young maiden's repentine nudity!! Now I
>really must find out what it means.
>Dick Williams, dwilliams@-----.edu, FAX (310)-516-4268

I'm just guessing here, but a) I noticed that word used by one of our
Italian correspondents, b) I speak Spanish myself, and in that language
"repentino" means "sudden"; ergo, a+b) I suspect he anglicized the Italian
word, and meant "sudden".

On the other hand, I see in my dictionary that "repent" (with the first "e"
long and accented) has a meaning I wasn't aware of, namely "creeping, esp.
growing along or just underneath the surface of the ground". Maybe that has
something to do with it (or with the young maiden's nudity!)... :-)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick St. John's
mcheramy@-----.ca Newfoundland
Canada