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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz to c/desire_paths@sh.itjust.works

People walking between the bus stop (outside the picture) and the building (on the right) don’t like taking the long route around this huge green circle. It was pretty obvious that this would happen sooner or later.

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[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 week ago

Why isn't this comm called "desired paths?" Sounds really weird with the wrong tense.

[-] markstos@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago

These paths are called “desire paths”— paths that desire follows.

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Weird. The grammatically correct way is "desired path."

[-] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 1 week ago

Nope "desire path" is a perfectly grammatically correct way of saying "path of desire".

[-] my_hat_stinks@programming.dev 16 points 1 week ago

The "grammatically correct" way is always whatever way is already in widespread use. Also, I'd say this is a noun adjunct, so not all that uncommon.

[-] markstos@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

"Desire path" is a valid noun phrase where "desire" functions as an attributive noun modifying "path." This construction is grammatically correct in English.

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 week ago

Yes. Thanks. I've been informed like 30 times now. I get it.

[-] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Because it comes from "paths of desire", I think. Sort of like "beauty mark" is not "beautifying mark": because it comes from "mark of beauty".

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

I believe you, it just sounds strange.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 11 points 1 week ago

English is a strange language 🤷

[-] DosDude@retrolemmy.com 5 points 1 week ago

In Dutch we call it "elephant's path" (loosely translated of course). And I think that's beautiful.

[-] ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org 3 points 1 week ago

For some reason I now have Colonel Hathi's March from The Jungle Book playing in my head :D

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

That I can agree with fully.

[-] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

I sort of like the strangeness, because it makes the concept feel stickier in my brain; I read "desire path" and my brain stumbles on the odd grammar and I spend longer on that concept than I would have done. It makes it feel like the noun-phrase exists as greater than the sum of the two words that make it up.

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

You get used to human.

[-] panathea 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Desired paths sounds weirder to me. I think desire here is a noun and not a verb, like "love affair" vs "loved affair".

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago
this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
405 points (100.0% liked)

Desire Paths

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Desire paths Desire paths can be paths created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall or traffic. The paths usually represent the shortest or most easily navigated routes between origins and destinations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path

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