GOBBLE!
Wild Word Friday!
To consider the origin of the word GOBBLE, we need to go back to the Celts, who gave us the word gober, meaning to gulp down or swallow. From gober we get gobbet, a morsel of food, particularly meat, and we also find the related word, gob, in various Gaelic dialects, which refers to the mouth. Put that altogether and you get GOBBLE as in gulping down your food with a lot of noise.
Only slightly related to all the above information, we have the sound word, GOBBLE, which refers to the noise a turkey makes. Remember, to Europeans, turkeys, being native to North America, were a “new” beast. So, that turkey noise, plus the familiarity of the gob words in the Gaelic languages and dialects made GOBBLE a given when it comes to naming the turkey’s favorite comment.
I’ve recently made acquaintance with a very large, very beautiful, and very vain turkey who loves to strut with his gorgeous black and white feathers displayed in full array. He likes people, and he likes to admired. He spends a lot of time GOBBLE-ing to all of us so we will tell him how lovely he is. And when he GOBBLEs, he definitely makes a sound that is perfectly described (onomatopoeia again!) by the word GOBBLE!
I’ve been told that he’s not going to be eaten for Thanksgiving, which is one of my reasons for being grateful this year.
Do you have a special reason for gratitude this year? Tell us!
Blessings!
Sue
(Some information from WEBSTER’S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY, UNABRIDGED. Photo from Wikipedia.)
Funny to read Sue… the word Gobble is used a lot here in Ireland.. I hear it nearly daily :)))…. When my youngest daugther was 2 we went to the pet farm… There was a big fat turkey there. She hopped and jumped with happiness towards the turkey, the turkey started to “gobble”….. and my daughter?… I have never seen a child so frightened, she is 7 now but still remembers the event. A few months ago we went back to the same pet farm, my daughter was much more confident but still held on to my hand and wouldn’t let go. :))))
I am very grateful for the doctors in the local children hospital….. 3 weeks ago my son (4 years old) got breathing problems, turned white and blue… rushed to hospital, put on a machine, lots of needles, x ray, vomit, fever etc. etc. a long story… but to make it short: he has Pheunomia… the doctor said we were just in time.. an hour later and it would have been fatal… so… I am grateful for the fast acting doctors.
The whole event also put a lot of things in perspective, which I am also grateful for.
Sue… did you see “world without end” yet? I did… it is not as good as “Pillars of the Earth”
I love that your daughter wanted to hold your hand, Jackie. So sweet.
My goodness as I read about your son, I just started to hold my breath out of fear. I’m SO glad he’s all right and I add my gratitude to yours for fast acting doctors. You’re right, small irritations fade quickly in comparison to a situation where your precious son’s life was at stake.
We both watched “World without end.” I liked it, but I totally agree that it wasn’t as good as “Pillars of the Earth.” Of course, I’m prejudiced. You see, a very good friend of mine gave me “Pillars of the Earth,” so the whole time we were watching, we were smiling in celebration of that across-the-Atlantic friendship!!
Your words bring tears to my eyes Sue ( good tears ). You are very sweet.
I snuggle and kiss my son a lot more now, it drives him crazy :))