Revised as of
18 Sept 2022
Yet again, I find myself in the wrong. Sigh . . . Turns out that lama is an alternative spelling for llama even though it is rarely used. I’m not sure if I’m trying to justify my preferences or if it truly is something to be weighed.
To my mind, when I read lama, my first thought is the Dalai Lama. I would never think ooh, cute pack animals from the Andes.
Conversely, reading about a llama will never make me wonder if the Chinese have yet allowed the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet. Llamas will always make me think of their cute faces and cozy wool sweaters.
Well, okay, the Dalai Lama does have a cute face . . .
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Lama | Llama |
|---|---|
His Holiness the Dalai Lama by Minette (Flickr: [1]) is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Llama Park is MilborneOne’s own work under the GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Acronym; Noun
Plural for the noun: lamas |
Noun
Plural noun: llamas Alternative spelling: lama |
| Acronym: Laboratory Animal Management Association Los Angeles Modern Auctions Noun: Tibetan or Mongolian Buddhist monk Title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism Lama glama is the scientific name for the llama |
Domesticated pack animal of the camel family found in the Andes
|
| Examples: | |
| Acronym: LAMA is an association dedicated to advancing the quality of management and care of laboratory animals throughout the world. LAMA is the premier auction house for Modern Art, Design and Furniture. Noun: Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama is a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the enlightened Buddha of compassion. |
Llama fiber doesn’t spin easily, but does make fabulous lightweight, warm garments.
In the U.S., many llamas are raised strictly for pleasure. Llamas are great as pack animals and guards, their hair can be shorn and spun or matted, and their meat can be roasted. |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-17th century from the Tibetan bla-ma with the initial b being silent. It literally means superior one. | Early 17th century from the Spanish, probably from Quechua. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Lama versus Llama
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits
Lamas in the Sunset, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, 2006, by Luca Galuzzi (www.galuzzi.it) under the CC BY-SA 2.5 license, Llama3 has no machine-readable author provided. Anakin~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims) and is under the GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5 license, and Tibetan Monk in Tashilhunpo Monastery by B_cool from SIN, Singapore is under the CC BY 2.0 license. All three are via Wikimedia Commons.
