Random thought

[pne]

To nurse (i.e. to feed at a breast) in German is stillen (both in the transitive and intransitive senses: Die Mutter stillte ihr Kind "The mother nursed her child"; Das Kind stillte an der Brust "The child nursed at (her mother's) breast", though the second form is more uncommon, I'd say)—apparently a derivative of still "still, quiet": by my feeling, a causative "to cause to be quiet". Which is what it often does, even if the child is not hungry but just needs some comfort or closeness :)

The cognate verb to still isn't used in English, though, is it? The only thing that comes to mind is technical jargon from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series; IIRC it's used for the process of removing a male channeler's powers, or something like that? Anyone familiar with the series who can provide details?

Comments

[liv]

Yeah, still can be used as a verb in much the same sense as quiet. I don't think it's used specifically to refer to nursing, but a mother calming a crying child would definitely be a reasonable context to use the verb to still.

[pthalo]

That's what I was going to say! I think it's a fairly formal word, since I've only come across it in religious contexts. it's definitely not street slang, but it's still used. "to make quiet, to make calm, to make tranquil."

[sovereigna.livejournal.com]

I remember what you're talking about. It was 'stilling', removing a man or womans side of the power from one or the other.

But I've given up on Robert Jordon till I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...

[sovereigna.livejournal.com]

And 'stilling' in RJ's sense is essentially the same as above. Stilling the power, to control it, to remove the danger of it.

[ladyortyger.livejournal.com]

It seems vaguely familiar as an English 'verb' ...

'He became still' 'The crowd stilled' ...

Stuff like that.

And 'stilling' in WoT was done to both men and women, removing all ability to channel saidar/saidin, specifically. But not the ability to feel others channeling.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's not particularly uncommon to hear/see a sentence like, "As the beleaguered senator approached the podium, the audience stilled in anticipation of a major announcement."

[robnorth.livejournal.com]

"Still" as a verb is quite rare in everyday spoken English, at least from my observations here on the Wet Coast of Canuckistan and on North American Tee Vee. It's become one of those words thought of as "literary" -- i.e. you might see it in a poem or in one of those books that only highbrows read, but no-one else would ever dare to use it. You'd never hear it in a bar or in a hockey dressing room, for example.

[bluewingedcat.livejournal.com]

Common vernacular for quieting a child in the non-vulgar sense is often 'hush' or 'quiet'. Vulgar vernacular for it is 'shut up'.

Hush seems to be more common than quiet. This is probably because hush *sounds* quieting, since the common "quiet yourself" noise is 'shhhh'.

Thanks for forcing me to analyze some of my own language. I forget to do that very often anymore.