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Dirt Man (mander.xyz)
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[-] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 38 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

In Chinese (I mean like most dialects), North Pole is just 北极 ("Northern Extreme"), South Pole is 南极 ("Southern Extreme"). Arctic is just 北极 with the extra character 地区 meaning area ("Northern Extreme Area"), Antartica is 南极洲 ("Southern Extreme Continent").

There's no weird etymology involving bears lol

Maybe we should let someone from China or Taiwan contact the aliens?

[-] Kushan@lemmy.world 29 points 5 days ago

Someone once told me that the Chinese word for penguin translated to "business goose" and I cannot tell you how crestfallen I was when I looked it up and found out it wasn't true.

[-] randint@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 11 points 4 days ago

Penguins are called 企鵝/企鹅 (qì'é, [tɕʰi˥˩ ɤ˧˥]) in Chinese. It would be better literally translated as standing goose. It just so happens to share the same character 企 with the word for business. Most people don't know that 企 means standing anymore though.

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this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2025
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