Comments on: When proto-Russians met a bear, a dessert was born

When proto-Russians met a bear, a dessert was born

bq — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:24:13 -0800

In 1952, a group of Belgian-Jewish investors founded the first modern popsicle factory in Israel. They called their brand artik, a corruption of the French word for the frozen Arctic. (Hebrew doesn't abide with consonants placed in a row without a vowel between them, thus the 'c' had to go.) (Cache for the subscription-free).

Most of the Indo-European languages have a word for bear, but the form of the word itself varies because it was subject to a taboo in some languages but not in others. The advertising jungle for Artik survives as a children's song, which is what led me down this rabbit hole. I was pretty sure artik did not mean artichoke. Previously: Frank Epperson, Proto-Indo-European

By: zachlipton

zachlipton — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:56:40 -0800

I am slightly embarrassed to say that the Artik jingle has periodically popped into my head in the shower ever since learning it (along with a goofy dance) at a Jewish summer camp many years ago. Thanks for sharing; it's fun to hear it again. The movement of Jewish camp songs across the world has always been fascinating to me. Note that the song is on Spotify.

By: McCoy Pauley

McCoy Pauley — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:03:33 -0800

ObNitPick: "artik" still has two consonants placed in a row. Perhaps the writer meant "more than two consonants placed in a row without a vowel between them"? Disclaimer: my grasp of Hebrew is extremely miniscule and fragmentary, and based on vague childhood recollections of Passover and Hanukkah recitations (which were usually followed by a nice ham dinner, so you can see the level of devoutness involved).

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:10:28 -0800

Hebrew, BTW, is not an Indo-European language but is categorized instead in the Afro-Asiatic language family that contains Ancient Egyptian, Berber, Hausa, the Semitic sub-group containing Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Akkadian/Babylonian, and lots of others. (I'm guessing the Haaretz article didn't note this distinction because it would be evident to most of its readers...) Summer camp kids singing and dancing to commercials makes me think of Demolition Man, where the only music left in society is advertising jingles.

Bullock: "Your tone is quasi-facetious, but you don't realise that Taco Bell was the only restaurant that survived the franchise wars." Stallone: "So?" Bullock: "So now all restaurants are Taco Bells."

By: atomicstone

atomicstone — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:37:05 -0800

Artik menta chokolad banana. Artik menta chokolad limon Artik menta chokolad banana. Artik menta chokolad limon Whoa-O chokolad banana Whoa-O chokolad limon. Sorry anyone around me for the next several hours. That's the only think I'll be singing. on repeat. Loudly. and Faster.

By: biffa

biffa — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:40:23 -0800

Both the Haaretz link and the cache are crashing IE for me, anyone else having this problem?

By: bq

bq — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:46:31 -0800

Try this. Scroll down.

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 15:36:52 -0800

(Hebrew doesn't abide with consonants placed in a row without a vowel between them, thus the 'c' had to go.) What's Coors' excuse, then? At the time I couldn't decide whether it was because they were chuckleheads themselves or they figured they were marketing it to chuckleheads.

By: biffa

biffa — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 15:38:14 -0800

Thanks bq, that worked. I could have stood to read more, shame its not longer. I was wondering whether there was any link to the UK frozen dessert Arctic Roll, but maybe not.

By: idiopath

idiopath — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:01:28 -0800

R can be a vowel. Also, "advertising jungle".

By: snottydick

snottydick — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 13:22:50 -0800

ObNitPick: "artik" still has two consonants placed in a row. Perhaps the writer meant "more than two consonants placed in a row without a vowel between them"? Perhaps they just can't abide superfluous consonants. Combining two letters to make one sound that each of them can already make is typical western decadence.

By: bq

bq — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 13:45:28 -0800

When properly pronounced, both the c and the t in arctic are articulated. If you're having trouble feeling this, say 'worktable' or 'Parktown'.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 16:09:51 -0800

ObNitPick: "artik" still has two consonants placed in a row. ObMuphry'sLaw: The original article does not proscribe two consonants, but "consonants placed in a row". Two consonants may not constitute a row.

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 13:51:49 -0800

Well, what a clever and interesting jingle. I am very impressed. Uh, how does one make it stop?

By: ocschwar

ocschwar — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:55:57 -0800

Artik menta chokolad banana. Artik menta chokolad limon If you didn't succomb to the earworm, I'll point out that this is chanted to the cadence of Pick a Bale of Cotton. Al lo davar.

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:51:19 -0800

AND THERE IT GOES AGAIN

By: snottydick

snottydick — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 08:51:28 -0800

Somehow, I got this all confused with my pet peeve about words that end in "ck."