Is "mung" or "munged" a negative word in a moral sense?

Uncwilly · 2020-04-13, 18:52

I heard a discuss of the word "munged" recently. In your mind is it a negative concept? Not just inelegant, but bad.

Also, how is it pronounced?

ewmayer · 2020-04-13, 19:01

[Note: this response came in before the poll portion was complete]
The only "mung" I know - outside of emperor Mung the Murciless of Flush Gordon fame, that is :) - is a "mung bean", so I'm guessing you're referring to the hackerism verb, "to munge", rhymes with "grunge". AFAICT there is not negative connotation, just perhaps the "inelegant but necessary procedure" aspect of said activity, which is perhaps reflected in the sound of said word.

xilman · 2020-04-13, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

I heard a discuss of the word "munged" recently. In your mind is it a negative concept? Not just inelegant, but bad.

Also, how is it pronounced?

IMAO it is neither inelegant nor bad.

The root "mung" is a useful recursive ETLA --- Mung Until No Good.

A related adage is "if it aint broke, fix it until it is." I follow this advice far too often. It is standard procedure when one runs Gentoo Linux.

I pronounce it with a hard /g/, as in "ringed", "banged", "winged" and other such words which derive from a root with a terminal hard /g/.

xilman · 2020-04-13, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewmayer

[Note: this response came in before the poll portion was complete]
The only "mung" I know - outside of emperor Mung the Murciless of Flush Gordon fame, that is :) - is a "mung bean", so I'm guessing you're referring to the hackerism verb, "to munge", rhymes with "grunge". AFAICT there is not negative connotation, just perhaps the "inelegant but necessary procedure" aspect of said activity, which is perhaps reflected in the sound of said word.

The term is not "munge" but "mung". I believe that "munge" is a back-formation from "munged".

xilman · 2020-04-13, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

The term is not "munge" but "mung". I believe that "munge" is a back-formation from "munged".

But may be wrong. See

http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/M/mung.html

Uncwilly · 2020-04-13, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewmayer

munge"

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/M/mung.html

Forget "authorities", this what you natively feel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humpty Dumpty

When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.

We are the masters of language not the slaves to it.

Nick · 2020-04-13, 20:36

On a related note, the Dutch word "modder" means mud.
This inevitably colours our perception of the English word "moderation".

ewmayer · 2020-04-13, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

On a related note, the Dutch word "modder" means mud.
This inevitably colours our perception of the English word "moderation".

The famous 1940s/50s US comedic duo Abbott and Costello had a famous "mudders and fodders" sketch in which Lou (Costello), naive as always, gets conned into buying a horse from the city's Department of Street Cleaning, believing it to be a bargain-priced thoroughbred race horse. Lou asks his sophisticated buddy Abbott "what does a horse eat?", and Abbott replies "why, a horse eats his fodder, of course" and Lou hears "eats his father". Abbott further explains that it's especially important for every mudder (= horse which runs well in rainy, muddy-track conditions) to eat his fodder, Costello hears "mother", and hilarity ensues.

LaurV · 2020-04-14, 05:13

In Romanian, we have the verb "mânji", pronounced similat to munge, with the translation(s) (according to google): "to defile, to sully, to stain, to daub, to blur, to foul, to soil, to grime, to smirch, to besmirch, to mess, to besmear, to bedaub". Maybe some connections? (didn't look for etymology).

retina · 2020-04-14, 05:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Forget "authorities", this what you natively feel.

We are the masters of language not the slaves to it.

Yes. This. Agree. Absolutely. Correct.

Languages are tools, like a hammer is a tool. So you can hit people over the head with it anytime they make a missteak.

Uncwilly · 2020-04-14, 14:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

Languages are tools, like a hammer is a tool. So you can hit people over the head with it anytime they make a missteak.

We have needs for words that previously didn't exist, so we create them. English hasn't had a word (at least for centuries) that means specifically nieces and nephews collectively. So people have started to use the word "niblings" (taking the common 'n' from niece and nephew, and sticking that on instead of the 's' in siblings). The term 'cousins', could be (and has been) used, but is not specific.

(This doesn't mean that I don't help people who unwittingly make an error in words.)

View Poll Results: Is "mung" a negative term and how do you say it?
Yes, it is negative and it is said the same as the "mung" bean	3	33.33%
Yes, it is negative and it rhymes with sponge	0	0%
No, it is neutral and it is said the same as the "mung" bean	1	11.11%
No, it is neutral and it rhymes with sponge	4	44.44%
No, it is not a word	1	11.11%
Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll

2020-04-13, 18:52	#1
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 9,187 Posts	Is "mung" or "munged" a negative word in a moral sense? I heard a discuss of the word "munged" recently. In your mind is it a negative concept? Not just inelegant, but bad. Also, how is it pronounced?

2020-04-13, 19:01	#2
ewmayer ∂²ω=0 Sep 2002 República de California 10110100111100₂ Posts	[Note: this response came in before the poll portion was complete] The only "mung" I know - outside of emperor Mung the Murciless of Flush Gordon fame, that is :) - is a "mung bean", so I'm guessing you're referring to the hackerism verb, "to munge", rhymes with "grunge". AFAICT there is not negative connotation, just perhaps the "inelegant but necessary procedure" aspect of said activity, which is perhaps reflected in the sound of said word. Last fiddled with by Uncwilly on 2020-04-13 at 19:02

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2020-04-13, 20:36	#7
Nick Dec 2012 The Netherlands 2×7×113 Posts	On a related note, the Dutch word "modder" means mud. This inevitably colours our perception of the English word "moderation".

2020-04-14, 05:13	#9
LaurV Romulan Interpreter Jun 2011 Thailand 10001110110011₂ Posts	In Romanian, we have the verb "mânji", pronounced similat to munge, with the translation(s) (according to google): "to defile, to sully, to stain, to daub, to blur, to foul, to soil, to grime, to smirch, to besmirch, to mess, to besmear, to bedaub". Maybe some connections? (didn't look for etymology).