yellow jam

Pubic_Warrior

Pubic_Warrior

In Cryo Sleep
seen as tho the last time this was posted the tread got closed because of my opinions,

so why is yellow jam called marmalade?
 
M

MoTo^

In Cryo Sleep
i dont think it was because of your opinions, but the way you expressed them.

as for the topic, i have no idea :)
 
Taffy

Taffy

New Member
How is anyone supposed to know that? You may as well just ask 'Why are birds called birds' or 'Why did someone decide to call an elephant an elephant?'
 
F

Fi$hy

Guest
aha!

Have some Saussure : http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/saussure.html

Right, the highlights (Saussure's part of my A-Level woo)
Language is based on a NAMING process, by which things get associated with a word or name. Saussure says this is a pretty naive or elementary view of language, but a useful one, because it gets across the idea that the basic linguistic unit has two parts.

The linguistic SIGN (a key word) is made of the union of a concept and a sound image. The union is a close one, as one part will instantly conjure the other; Saussure's example is the concept "tree" and the various words for tree in different languages. When you are a speaker of a certain language, the sound image for tree in that language will automatically conjure up the concept "tree." The MEANING of any SIGN is found in the association created between the sound image and the concept: hence the sounds "tree" in English mean the thing "tree." Meanings can (and do) vary widely, but only those meanings which are agreed upon and sanctioned within a particular language will appear to name reality. (More on this as we go on).

A more common way to define a linguistic SIGN is that a SIGN is the combination of a SIGNIFIER and a SIGNIFIED. Saussure says the sound image is the SIGNIFIER and the concept the SIGNIFIED. You can also think of a word as a signifier and the thing it represents as a signified (though technically these are called sign and referent, respectively).

The SIGN, as union of a SIGNIFIER and a SIGNIFIED, has two main characteristics.


1. The bond between the SIGNIFIER (SFR) and SIGNIFIED (SFD) is ARBITRARY. There is nothing in either the thing or the word that makes the two go together, no natural, intrinsic, or logical relation between a particular sound image and a concept. An example of this is the fact that there are different words, in different languages, for the same thing. Dog is "dog" in English, "perro" in Spanish, "chien" in French, "Hund" in German.
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Right so in other words, Language is Arbitrary meaning that the words we use to describe objects have no-real relevence to the object they describe, other than that they have been assigned to represent the object at some point in the past.

So Marmalade is Marmalade because it has been agreed that that would be the linguistic representation of orange jam. As far as we are concerned, Marmalade could be called hallyboo and it would have no-more and no-less meaning than the current name for Orange Jam
 
Piacular

Piacular

In Cryo Sleep
Pestcontrol said:
I have another mindbender: Why do the dutch call peanutbutter peanutcheese?
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What? No way! I don't belive you...

*wanders off to moan at Google*
 
T-Bone

T-Bone

In Cryo Sleep
Pestcontrol said:
I have another mindbender: Why do the dutch call peanutbutter peanutcheese?
Click to expand...

Well they are obsessed with cheese as I'm sure you know.

The ultimate conundrum is...why isn't all of Holland's population constipated?
 
F

Fi$hy

Guest
Because the dutch agreed to associate that sound "peanut cheese" with peanut butter :p
 
Carth

Carth

In Cryo Sleep
Because it's not yellow jam, it's marmalade.

Jam is a spread made of fruit and sugar, whereas marmalade is a preserve made from bitter oranges. In my opinion they are quite different. Marmalade is the connoisseur's choice for toast, whereas jam is more suited to sandwiches.

If you wish to know more about jam and other conserves, please send donations to Carth.
 
Pestcontrol

Pestcontrol

In Cryo Sleep
You still owe me, carth :p

Is marmalede special only because it's more expensive? I really dislike culinary elitism, or even well established, but purely cultural rules.

Like it's absolutely fine to drink a fruity red wine with fish, even though everyone will tell you it's "wrong". :)
 
Haven

Haven

Administrator
Staff member
Almost there Carth. Consulting the mighty wikipedia for the words jam and marmalade I see that:

Jam with fruit peel is called marmalade.
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and

Typically the recipe will include sliced fruit peel and will prescribe a long cooking time in order to soften the peel; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel.
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So to address the original question, why is yellow jam called marmalade?

The colour is irrelevant. If its got peel in it then its marmalade and if it hasn't then its called Jam.
 
BiG D

BiG D

Administrator
Staff member
And the fruit detectives solve another mystery!

Tune in next week when they tackle 'why do pineapples have nothing to do with pine, nor apples?' :)
 
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