łania or klempa?

Polonius3 994 | 12,367

2 Apr 2012 #1

The words łania and klempa, as far as I know, are used to denote a female elk, however when applied to women, their emotional colouring greatly varies.

A łania i smsleek and graceful whilst a klempa is clumsy and oafish.
Did this come about only because of the sound of these words or for some other reason?

pawian 223 | 24,375

2 Apr 2012 #2

he words łania and klempa, as far as I know, are used to denote a female elk,

Nope.

graceful łania

peevish klempa

gumishu 13 | 6,140

6 Apr 2012 #3

as far as I know Polish ortography states its klępa not klempa

pawian 223 | 24,375

6 Apr 2012 #4

Yes, of course, klępa relates to an animal, while klempa to a peevish woman.

gumishu 13 | 6,140

6 Apr 2012 #5

i'm not really sure 'klempa' is a dictionary word - if you asked me 'klępa' for a woman should be the same as for the elk mother (isn;t it just a figurative meaning when talking about a woman - so why a different ortography>)

boletus 30 | 1,361

6 Apr 2012 #6

£osza, łosica, także matka łoszaka. :-)

Even though dictionaries promote "klępa", not "klempa", the latter form still appears all over internet.

Apparently, such form was once acceptable.

Tu należy, z wymianą ię, ie, klępa, pogardliwa raczej nazwa 'krowy (starej)' i «kobiety', pisane i klempa ; u myśliwych 'samica łosia', prus. kente, 'krówsko'(?).

etymologia.org/wiki/S%C5%82ownik+etymologiczny/klepa%C4%87

Supposedly Gombrowicz also used the form "klempa" in his "prnografia".

A quote from Władysław Reymont, Ziemia Obiecana:

Niech diabli wszystko wezmą, tu buta włożyć nie mogę, bo kłuje, ta klempa popaliła mi kołnierzyki, w domu piekło, tego już za wiele. Mateusz!