# To cut



## ThomasK

One can
a - cut meat, a loaf of bread, 
a' - cut hair, paper 
b - mow grass, the lawn, 
c - shear a sheep
d - prune a tree
e - trim the hedge
f - shave a beard

But in Dutch we shall say:
a'/ f - haar knippen, papier knippen (because we use a small pair of scissors)
c'/e'/f' - de haag (the hedge) scheren, schapen (sheep) scheren, zijn baard scheren 
d - snoeien (also the budget, or no, the expenses)

Are there languages with more or less diversity as for cutting ?


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## bibax

In Czech the verb strictly depends on the tool, not on the object.

*stříhati* - by scissors (or by "mašinka", an electrical tool for cutting hair, shearing sheep);
*řezati* - by saw, knife, (also by flame/water/laser);
*krájeti* - by knife only;
*sekati* (cf. Latin secare) - by ax, sword, sickle;
*kositi* - by scythe (= *kosa*);
*holiti* (from *holý* = bare) - by blade, (el.) razor;

a - krájeti;
a', c, e - stříhati;
b - sekati;
d - řezati; 
f - holiti;

Every verb can take various prefixes: _ostříhati, prostříhati, prořezati, nakrájeti, pokrájeti, rozkrájeti, ukrojiti_, etc.

The verbs can be used figuratively. For example: _Skosily je nemoci a hlad._ = They were scythed (mowed down) by diseases and hunger (imagine the Skeleton with the scythe).


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## phosphore

Serbian:

*seći* - refers to any act of cutting pieces off something: meat, bread, hair, paper - your a
*rezati* - refers to cutting a particular shape: meat, breat, paper, tree, hedge, taxes, expenses - your a, d, e
*šišati* - refers to cutting to a particular shape: hair, grass, sheep, hedge - your a, b, c, e
*kositi* - refers to cutting grass with a scythe - your b
*strigati* - to shear a sheep - your c
*kresati* - to prune a tree - your d
*brijati* - to shave - your f
*krojiti* - to tailor: garment, future
*cepati* - to rip: paper, wood 
*tesati* - to adze: wood, stone


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## rusita preciosa

Russian:
a - cut meat, a loaf of bread - резать /*rez*at/ (lit. to cut; this is the most verstaile word); отрезать /ot*rez*at/ (lit. to cut off) 
a' - cut hair - стричь /stritch/, paper - разрезать /raz*rez*at/ (same root as "cut"; literally means "cut apart")
b - mow grass, the lawn - косить /kosit/ (to scythe) 
c - shear a sheep - стричь /stritch/ (same as cutting hair)
d - prune a tree - (I'm not sure 100% but I think it is): обрезать /ob*rez*at/ (lit. cut around) or прорежать /prorejat/ (lit. to thin through). The tool is called секатор /sekator/
e - trim the hedge - same as "prune"
f - shave a beard - брить /brit'/

Others:
to cut fabric to make clothes - кроить /kroyit/
to shape wood or stone: тесать /tesat/
to rip: рвать /rvat/
to cut with a sword or another like instrument - сечь/рассекать /*setch*/ras*sek*at/ - these two have the same root


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## ThomasK

Czech (and generally Slavic) has different verbs for different tools, was pointed out by Bibax at the lawnmower thread. I pasted his contribution here along by additions in red for Italian by Pizzi. I hereby invite both to add the verbs !

Italian/ Czech

scissors, cesoie- stříhati; 
saw, sega, saracco 
knife, lancia (also to cut by flame/water/laser) - řezati;
knife (only) lama, coltello, trinciante - krájeti;
ax, ascia 
sword, lama 
scythe, falce 
sickle, falcetto- sekati (cf. Latin secare, sectio);
scythe (only) falce - kositi (kosa = scythe)

_By the way: any meta-linguistic comments/ suggestions on how one could structure such lists (and contain them: include rip or not ???) are welcome. _


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## pizzi

rusita preciosa said:


> Italian:
> 
> a - cut meat, a loaf of bread - affettare la carne, il pane
> a' - cut hair - tagliare i capelli
> b - mow grass, the lawn - tagliare l'erba
> c - shear a sheep - tosare una pecora
> d - prune a tree - potare un albero
> e - trim the hedge - potare una siepe
> f - shave a beard - fare la barba
> Others:
> to cut fabric to make clothes - tagliare la stoffa per fare abiti
> to shape wood or stone - scolpire il legno o la pietra
> to rip - stracciare
> to rip through - squarciare
> to cut with a sword or another like instrument - fendere con la spada


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## ThomasK

Great, thanks a lot, pizzi! Interesting to see the links existing in Italy as opposed to the ones in Dutch... 

But I would say: let's drop the carving/ sculpting verbs, i.e. : 



> to shape wood or stone - scolpire il legno o la pietra
> to rip - stracciare
> to rip through - squarciare
> to cut with a sword or another like instrument - fendere con la spada


as they are different movements (take more force, etc.).


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## ilocas2

I don't want to argue with anybody, but I must say, that the endings of Czech verbs are actually *-t* and the ending *-ti* is no longer used anywhere, it was used in books till, let's say 1950s-1960s.

And I really don't understand why somebody uses this endings in this forum, but as I said, I don't want to argue.



> V češtině se infinitiv tvoří koncovkou –t (dělat, moct, říct), případně –ti. Tvary na –ti (u sloves jako nésti, dělati se tvoří přidáním –i) jsou však dnes považovány za knižní. Koncovka –t je pozůstatkem praslovanského supina, tedy tvaru, který se tvořil pouze od nedokonavých sloves a zprvu se používal jen po slovesech pohybu. V pozdější době bylo supinum nahrazeno infinitivem, jeho pozůstatkem jsou dubletní tvary k původním infinitivním tvarům - ke tvarům se zakončením –ti (–i) přibyly tvary zakončené na -t, které v průběhu 20. století zcela převládly i v psaném jazyce.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
*1a - cut meat, a loaf of bread*: Verb «κόβω» ('kovo) from the Classical «κόπτω» ('kŏptō)-->initially _to smite, slaughter_ later _to cut off, chop off_; from PIE Base *(s)kep-, _to cut, to scrape, to hack_.
*1b - cut hair, paper*: Idem; although «κουρεύω» (ku'revo)-->_to cut the hair_ can also be used (for the hair); a Byzantine verb deriving from the feminine noun «κουρά» (ku'ra)-->_the cropping of the hair_ later _the tonsure (in order to become a member of a monastic order)_. Ultimately from the Classical verb «κείρω» ('keirō)-->_to cut down, hew, carve, tear_ from PIE Base *(s)qer-, _to cut off, shear_. Today with «κουρεύω» we describe the cutting of hair (e.g. in a barber's shop which in Greek is «κουρείο», "ku'rio" _neuter noun_). In the Cretan regiolect, sheep are «κουράδια» (ku'raðja _neuter nominative plural_)-->lit. _the shorn animals_.     
*2 - mow grass, the lawn*: Both «κόβω» and «κουρεύω» can be used.
*3 - shear a sheep*: «Kουρεύω».
*4 - prune a tree*: «Κλαδεύω» (kla'ðevo), a Hellenistic verb «κλαδεύω» (klă'deuō)-->initially _to prune vines_ later _to prune (in general)_ from PIE Base *kel(a)-, _strike_.
*5 - trim the hedge*: «Κλαδεύω», «κουρεύω» or «ξακρίζω» (ksa'krizo). The latter is a compound formed by the joining together of the prefix and preposition «ἐξ» (eks)-->_out of, from within_ + Classical feminine noun «ἄκρη» ('akrē)-->_farthest point, extremity_ + suffix «-ίζω» (-'izō) which both in Ancient and Modern Greek actively forms verbs especially from feminine nouns; e.g. «ἐλπίς» (el'pis=hope), «ἐλπίζω» (el'pizō=to hope). «Ξακρίζω» (ksa'krizo) lit. means _to trim out_.
*6 - shave a beard*: «Ξυρίζω» (ksi'rizo) from the Classical «ξυρέω/ξυρῶ» ('ksur'eō [uncontracted]/ksu'rō [contracted])-->_to shave_, from the neuter noun «ξυρόν» (ksur'ŏn), the razor.


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## sakvaka

The *Finnish* verbs:

_leikata lihaa, leipää_ (cut meat, bread)
_leikata hiukset, paperia_ (cut the hair, paper)
_leikata ruohoa, nurmikko_ (mow grass, the lawn)
_keriä lammas_ (shear a sheep)
_karsia, oksia puu_ (prune a tree)
_leikata, trimmata pensasaita_ (trim the hedge)
_ajaa parta_ (shave a beard)

oksia < oksa ("branch")
ajaa = drive (a car!); ride (a bicycle!); shave (one's moustache/beard!), ... (plus some other meanings) 

EDIT: Whoa! My 1000th post!


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## pizzi

There is a masonry term too, *cut and stitch *

*Italian: cuci-scuci *or *scuci-cuci*

Piz


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## Hakro

To the expressions that Sakvaka said in post #10 I'd like to add a couple of different uses of the verb _leikata_ (to cut):

- to operate (a medical operation)
- to harvest (the crop)
- to intersect (for example two lines intersecting)
- castrate (especially for cats and dogs)
...and so on.


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## ThomasK

Thanks, but the basic act is cutting, I believe. I am impressed though that you can use the verb in so many contexts. I don't think we can in Dutch...


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## Hakro

In my English-Finnish dictionary I counted at least fifteen different contexts for "to cut" without looking at the idioms or sayings. They also include most of the contexts used in Finnish (to harvest, to intersect, to castrate etc.) and many, many more.


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## ThomasK

We don't want to think of the cutting while castrating, I think, ;-) and cutting the harvest would have mowing in it (_maaien _as in _maaidorser_, combine, combining mowing and threshing).


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## pizzi

Italian, there are also:

to cut sublic spending - tagliare la spesa pubblica

to cut down a tree, a wall - abbattere un albero, un muro

to cut into conversation - interrompere una conversazione

to cut up meat - tagliare a pezzi la carne


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## ThomasK

Interesting idea: _abattere_ is the result (the pragmatic effect) of the cutting, I believe, and so is _interrumpere_. I would not put them in this list because they do not use the cutting metaphor - but thanks for referring to the English phrases. 

@ hakro: _intersect_ - very interesting, same expression in Dutch (_ze snijden elkaar, het snijpunt_)

In fact, this is an extra perspective: the metaphorical use of cutting, as in _intersection, the cutting edge_, ...


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## Favara

Catalan
_Etimologies taken from DCVB_.
a - cut meat, *tallar*_ la carn_ (vulgar Latin _taleare_, from _talea_ meaning a branch that's been cut for transplanting)
a' - cut hair, *tallar*_ els cabells_
b - mow grass, _*tallar *l'herba_
c - shear a sheep *esquilar*_ una ovella_ (Germanic root _skairan_)
d - prune a tree _*podar* un arbre_ (Latin _putare_)
e - trim the hedge _*podar *la tanca_
f - shave a beard _*afaitar* una barba_ (Latin _affactare_?)


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## pizzi

Albanian:

scissors, gershere 
saw, sharre (lat. _serra_)
knife thike 
blade, teh
pocket-knife, brisk, biçak 
sword, shpate 
scythe, draper
razor, brisk rroje

to cut, pres

to cut ham, bread in slices, pres rriska-rriska, pres feta-feta 
to shave, rruhem


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## Orlin

Bulgarian
a - cut meat, a loaf of bread, = *режа* (rezha)
a' - cut hair, paper = *режа *(rezha)
b - mow grass, the lawn, = *кося* (kosya)
c - shear a sheep = *стрижа* (strizha)
d - prune a tree = *подрязвам, кастря *(podryazvam, kastrya)
e - trim the hedge = *подрязвам *(podryazvam)
f - shave a beard = *бръсна *(brasna)
Bulgarian verbs have no infinitive and their basic form is 1st p. sg. of the present tense.


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## Black4blue

Turkish:

a - cut meat, a loaf of bread: *kesmek*
a' - cut hair, paper: *kesmek *or *tıraş etmek*
b - mow grass, the lawn: *biçmek* 
c - shear a sheep: *kırpmak* or *kesmek*
d - prune a tree: *budamak*
e - trim the hedge: no idea
f - shave a beard: *tıraş etmek*


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## ThomasK

Is _kiprmak_ in some way better than _kesmek_, B4B? And what is the precise meaning (perhaps)? *tıraş etmek* is translated as _to shave_, but Google does not give any explanation for _etmek_, and translates *tıraş *as _to shave_, whereas I wonder: is *tıraş* an infinitive? I don't think you can use that verb for cutting paper, do you?


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## Black4blue

Yeah, If we are talking about a sheep, I must use *kırpmak* which means *crop, shear*.
*Tıraş* means *shave,* *the noun*.
And when we add some auxiliary verbs (yapmak, etmek, olmak etc...) to some nouns, they become verb. So,
*Tıraş etmek* means *to shave*, *the verb*.
In the same way, *tıraş olmak* means *to get shaved.*
Absolutely you cannot use it for a paper.


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## ThomasK

I see ! Thanks for the information, B4B!


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## mataripis

1.) Hiwain ang laman(meat)/tinapay(bread) 2.)Gupitan ang Buhok(hair)/ Gupitin ang papel 3.) bawasan ang damo(grass) 4.)Gupitan ang tupa(sheep)5.) Pukanan ang sanga (branch) ng puno(tree) 6.) Pantayin ang gupit ng halaman 7.) ahitin ang balbas(beard)


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## AutumnOwl

Swedish:
a - cut meat, a loaf of bread = skära kött, skära bröd 
a' - cut hair, paper = klippa hår, klippa papper
b - mow grass, the lawn = klippa gräset/gräsmattan; slå gräset = hit the grass, when using a scythe
c - shear a sheep = klippa ett får
d - prune a tree = beskära ett träd
e - trim the hedge = beskära en häck
f - shave a beard = raka av ett skägg

g - cut wood = hugga ved (with an axe), såga ved (with an saw)
h - cut with a sword = hugga med ett svärd


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## Tamar

Hebrew:

To cut meet - לחתוך lakhtoch - this is the usual verb for "cut".
To cut bread - לבצוע livtsoa - not used anymore. Today we'd use lakhtoch.
לחתוך lakhtokh is also used when cutting someone off in line, but especially on the road.
To cut hair - לגזור שיער ligzor - לגזור is to cut with scissors. (But if you get a haircut then it's להסתפר lehistaper).
To mow grass - לגזום ligzom
To cut sheep's hair - לגזום ligzom. 
Ligzom would also be the translation for "to trim".
To prune a tree - also לגזום ligzom. 
Shave - לגלח legale'akh
To cut with a saw - לנסר lenaser. A saw is מסור masor. 
Snoeien - to cut expenses/costs/budget - לקצץ lakatsets - to chop. Also used when cutting in staff at a place of work - לקצץ עובדים - "to chop" employees.
לקצץ is also when you make a chopped salad - סלט קצוץ - salat katsuts.
To harvest - לקצור liktsor. However, olive harvest has a different anme and verb: מסיק זיתים mesik zeytim (n.) The verb is למסוק limsok.


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## Encolpius

*Hungarian *

a - cut meat, a loaf of bread = vág
a' - cut hair, paper = vág, nyír
b - mow grass, the lawn,  = nyír
c - shear a sheep = nyír
d - prune a tree = nyír
e - trim the hedge = nyír
f - shave a beard = vág, nyír


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## ahmedcowon

Arabic:

cut meat = *يقطع* اللحم yuqaTTe3 (_cut_)
cut a loaf of bread = *يقسم* رغيف الخبز yaqsem (_divide_)
cut hair = *يقص* الشعر yaquss (_cut with scissors_), *يحلق* الشعر yaHleq (_shave_)
cut paper = *يقص* الورقة yaquss (_cut with scissors_), *يقطع* الورقة yuqaTTe3 (_cut_)
mow grass = *يجز* العشب yajuzz (_mow_)
shear sheep = *يجز* فروة الخروف yajuzz (_shear_)
prune a tree = *يقلم* الشجرة yuqallem (_prune_)
trim the hedge = *يقلم* السياج yuqallem (_trim_)
shave a beard = *يحلق* الذقن yaHleq (_shave_)


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## ThomasK

@Encolpius: does it make a difference if you _vág _or _nyír _hair and paper? Is there a semantic difference somehow? 

@ahmed: do I see a similar root: _y-q, y-q-l_?

Do you use any of those metaphorically, in order to refer to cutting down on expenses for example?


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## ahmedcowon

ThomasK said:


> @ahmed: do I see a similar root: _y-q, y-q-l_



no, the prefix *y* tells you that this verb is a present-tense 3rd-person masculine singular _(he)_ verb

ex. the verb "cut" comes from the root "قطع q-T-3"

By applying the present-tense patterns you'll get: [_past and imperative tenses have other patterns _]
يقطع yuqaTTe3 (he cuts) [past: قطع qaTTa3a]
تقطع tuqaTTe3 (she cuts) [past: قطعت qaTTa3at]

أقطع 'uqaTTe3 (I cut) [past: قطعت qaTTa3tu]
نقطع nuqaTTe3 (we cut) [past: قطعنا qaTTa3naa]

يقطعون yuqaTTe3oon (they cut) plural masculine [past: قطعوا qaTTa3oo]
يقطعن yuqaTTe3na (they cut) plural feminine [past: قطعن qaTTa3na]
يقطعان yuqaTTe3aan (they cut) dual masculine [past: قطعا qaTTa3aa]
تقطعان tuqaTTe3aan (they cut) dual feminine  [past: قطعتا qaTTa3ata]

تقطع tuqaTTe3 (you cut) singular  [past: قطعت qaTTa3ta/ti]
تقطعان tuqaTTe3aan (you cut) dual [past: قطعتما qaTTa3tuma]
تقطعون tuqaTTe3oon (you cut) plural [past: قطعتم qaTTa3tum]



ThomasK said:


> Do you use any of those metaphorically, in order to refer to cutting down on expenses for example?



 we say "lowering the expenses", but we say "cut the road" instead of "block the road"


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## ThomasK

I see, so no link at all between those verbs. How many different roots do we see there? Some 4 ? (Thanks)


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## Encolpius

ThomasK said:


> @Encolpius: does it make a difference if you _vág _or _nyír _hair and paper? Is there a semantic difference somehow? ...



Only in the case of paper there is a difference, vág = with any sharp object, nyír = only with sciccors


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## ThomasK

I see, might not be unimportant...


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## Messquito

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]
In Chinese,
(1) cutting with scissors is 剪 (you work the *two blades* together to cut)
(2) cutting with knife is 切 (you kind of just *drop the blade quick* and *separate* things in halves/pieces)
(3) cutting with box cutter is 割 (you kind of work the blade from one point to another, *following a line* and make an *opening*)
So what is the case in your language?
Do you use the same word, like in English, for "cut", or do you have different words for different tools?


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## Armas

Finnish also has veistää and vuolla which are used when cutting wood with a knife.


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## 810senior

ThomasK said:


> One can
> a - cut meat, a loaf of bread,
> a' - cut hair, paper
> b - mow grass, the lawn,
> c - shear a sheep
> d - prune a tree
> e - trim the hedge
> f - shave a beard



In Japanese:
_kir-u_ - to cut

a 　niku-wo kiru(cut meet)
a'  kami wo kiru(cut hair)
b  siba wo *karu*(mow grass)
c  hitsuji no ke wo *karu*(shear a sheep) or *kegari *wo suru(do shearing) [kegari = _ke_(wool, fur) + _gari_(shearing) _with vocalization_]
d  ki wo kiru(cut a tree)
e  ikegaki wo *karu*(trim the hedge) or ikegaki no *teire wo suru*(do caring of the hedge)
f  hige wo kiru(cut a beard) but hige wo *soru*(to shave a beard) is more general



Messquito said:


> (1) cutting with scissors is 剪 (you work the *two blades* together to cut)
> (2) cutting with knife is 切 (you kind of just *drop the blade quick* and *separate* things in halves/pieces)
> (3) cutting with box cutter is 割 (you kind of work the blade from one point to another, *following a line* and make an *opening*)



We all use same verb 切る(kir-u).
はさみで切る hasami de kir-u.
ナイフで切る naifu de kir-u.
カッターで切る kattaa de kir-u.


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## ger4

German: The closest equivalent to the English verb 'cut' is _schneiden_. It can be used in most cases:


ThomasK said:


> a - cut meat, a loaf of bread, _Fleisch / Brot (an)schneiden_
> a' - cut hair, paper _Haare schneiden, Papier (zer)schneiden_
> b - mow grass, the lawn, _Gras mähen, den Rasen mähen_
> c - shear a sheep _ein Schaf scheren_
> d - prune a tree _einen Baum beschneiden_
> e - trim the hedge _eine Hecke (be)schneiden_
> f - shave a beard _einen Bart rasieren_





Messquito said:


> (1) cutting with scissors  _mit einer Schere schneiden_
> (2) cutting with knife is  _mit einem Messer_ _schneiden_
> (3) cutting with box cutter is  _mit einem Cutter_ _schneiden_


Prefixes:
- _an-_ to begin to do something, to cut something partly 
- _zer-_ can express the idea of completed action (or an action to be completed, being completed), here 'to cut into pieces'
- _be-_ is a very frequent verbal suffix and here it might express the idea of cutting 'around' something


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