Tagged Questions

2
votes
2answers
145 views

Can we determine a proper verb form of “exegesis” for Biblical scholars to use?

This is related to a conversation here in EL&U SE. Apparently the noun exegete is being used as verb in religious circles. For Biblical Scholars, the word exegesis carries with it a connotation ...
4
votes
3answers
391 views

Words based on the names of gods [closed]

While the word christen means "to baptise" or "to make Christian", in another sense, it has shed its religious connotations to simply mean "to name" or even "use for the first time". Is there any ...
2
votes
1answer
83 views

Not a synonym, but what?

I am looking for a word that describes the relationship between two words that are not the same, are not used in lieu of the other, but are related in what they refer to. Example, storm/monsoon. ...
2
votes
2answers
328 views

Where and when did the negative connotations of “manipulation” appear?

When we think of manipulating objects, we might think of a juggler, magician, chef, etc. When we think of manipulating people, however, it almost always comes with negative connotations. These ...
3
votes
2answers
122 views

Is there a word for the “Origin of Gestures”?

I came across this little nugget of infomation whilst browsing a forum. The English archers were so efficient against French knights that whenever the French captured one, they would cut of two ...
1
vote
0answers
290 views

Are there any words that are spelled the same but have separate etymologies? [closed]

There are many words that are spelled the same but have different meanings due to development of polysemy over time from an original etymology. Are there any word pairs in English that have the same ...
6
votes
3answers
181 views

Closed -> Closure, Open ->?

Am I right in assuming that the word closure is derived from the word closed? If so, I would be interested to know the name of this procedure and what it yields when applied to the word open. My ...
4
votes
2answers
178 views

What is the name of combination, in error, of similar or related words? (E.g.: segueway)

Is there a technical term for combination, in error, of similar or related words? This question is prompted by the following malapropism or solecism, from an article by Elizabeth Montalbano in ...
6
votes
1answer
181 views

Is there a name for adjectives that are based around someone's name?

Some examples would include: Shakespearean Christian Mesmerized Pavlovian Newtonian Boolean Darwinian
2
votes
3answers
3k views

What is a toit?

From the compound word hoity-toity meaning 'thoughtless giddy behaviour', where hoity is the word hoit, meaning 'to behave thoughtlessly and frivolously'. However, I can't seem to find the meaning of ...
8
votes
3answers
348 views

What do I call a word with roots from multiple languages?

As best as I can tell, a good example is sociopath: sociopath — from socio- on model of psychopath socio- — combining form of [Latin] socius pathos — from [Greek] ...
0
votes
5answers
577 views

Is there a term for “midnight” that is like “noon”

"noon" is the term for the middle of the day, round about 12.00 to 13.00, and "midnight" is from 24.00 to 1.00, at night. "midnight" is just basically a prefix added to "night", whereas "noon" is a ...
2
votes
8answers
1k views

That which comes before the “sequel” [closed]

The word "sequel" comes from the the Latin word sequela which means "that which follows" This Latin word is formed of two parts, "sequi" which is "to follow", and a suffix to make it a noun,"-ela". ...
81
votes
10answers
6k views

Is there a word for a person with only one head?

Reading this article by the fantastic Douglas Adams I came across this interesting quote: ‘[I]nteractivity’ is one of those neologisms that Mr Humphrys likes to dangle between a pair of verbal ...
7
votes
4answers
765 views

What did they call illegitimate children in Old English days?

I know that the word bastard in this sense appeard only in 13th century. So what was the normal term before that?
8
votes
5answers
9k views

What is the correct usage of “vis-à-vis”?

I hear people use the term vis-à-vis all the time in place of what I believe should more correctly be for example or that is. What is the most generally accepted correct and appropriate use of ...