Arggghhh - No, no, Ryk Spoor!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

You'll have to redo all your poems where you rhymed electrodes with antipodes.

You have a problem with el-EC-trode-eez"?

[Sparrow]

I pronounced epitome incorrectly for decades - it should have a blinking y on the end, not an e.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by HarryT

My objection to it in this particular case is not its common (mis)usage in everyday speech, but the fact that Mr. Spoor has a paleontologist use it in a conversation with a professional colleague. Regardless of its everyday "misuse", I'm absolutely certain that a professional in the field would not get it wrong.

That's what I was thinking.

A paleontologist should have known better.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I pronounced epitome incorrectly for decades - it should have a blinking y on the end, not an e.

We're so used to a final "e" being silent in English, that words like this are virtually impossible to "guess" the correct pronunciation of. That's why we need dictionaries.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by HarryT

We're so used to a final "e" being silent in English, that words like this are virtually impossible to "guess" the correct pronunciation of. That's why we need dictionaries.

Sigh. I had a shock the first time I heard the song "Bette Davis's Eyes".

[Worldwalker]

And if someone said to you "I like oc-TOP-pode-eez" you'd look at them funny and ask "what the heck is an oc-TOP-poe-dee?"

Thanks for the link to the "Octopedantry" article. The comments are even better than the article itself! With regard to the guy commenting on ravioli, I've always used "raviolus" (accent on the second syllable, as in "alveolus") as the singular, as in "hey, there's no cheese in this raviolus!"

Also, I will be adopting "Kleeneces" into my vocabulary immediately.

[FlorenceArt]

Reminds me of a joke my Dad was fond of when I was young, about peeing in the cacti, which in French would be "faire pipi dans les cactus"... or, possibly, "faire pipus dans les cacti".

Probably not very funny if you don't speak french

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Thanks for the link to the "Octopedantry" article. The comments are even better than the article itself! With regard to the guy commenting on ravioli, I've always used "raviolus" (accent on the second syllable, as in "alveolus") as the singular, as in "hey, there's no cheese in this raviolus!"

I think that's Italian, in which case the singular ends in "-o", so the singular of "ravioli" would be "raviolo", just as the singular of "spaghetti" is "spaghetto". ("I'm not feeling very hungry - I'll just have a spaghetto" ).

[omk3]

The thing is, words borrowed from other languages are now part of your own, and you shouldn't have to know the grammar of each and every of these languages to use these words!

I know that octopus is octopodes in plural, and platypus is platypodes, because that's the way it is in my language. But when I speak in english, it doesn't feel right. I too might say octopi or platypi. And as I said before, it makes sense because I handle it as an english word (and english handles it as a pseudo-latin), and it's not the first greek word that's used differently in english.

Take 'chaos' for example. Want to start pronouncing it Hah-os? Because that's the correct pronunciation

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by omk3

The thing is, words borrowed from other languages are now part of your own, and you shouldn't have to know the grammar of each and every of these languages to use these words!

Absolutely true. I too am very much in favour of treating "imported" words as if they were English, and giving them English plurals in -s or -es.

[omk3]

Another example: Sycophant. I still can't get over this word.

In english it apparently means "A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people." (free dictionary)

Original ancient greek meaning, was someone who accused people publicly of even minor offenses. (it means something like 'he who reveals the (stolen?) figs')

Modern meaning, already in use in ancient times, someone who falsely accuses people, deliberately lies to blame others.

How from that we got the (completely opposite) english meaning I have absolutely no idea.

(and if you really want to stick to the roots, like with octopodes, why not say it sycophantis instead of sycophant?)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by omk3

Another example: Sycophant. I still can't get over this word.

In english it apparently means "A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people." (free dictionary)

Original ancient greek meaning, was someone who accused people publicly of even minor offenses. (it means something like 'he who reveals the (stolen?) figs')

The online etymology dictionary gives it a rather more "colourful" (and ruder) origin, which I won't quote here, but which you can see here. The English meaning stems from that fact that ancient Greek politicians encouraged their followers to make this rude gesture to their (the politician's) opponents, hence if you did so, you were a servile follower of such a person.

[omk3]

Interesting and amusing. No idea if it holds any truth. I'll have to look it up

But the completely opposite meaning to the english one remains.

[FlorenceArt]

This meaning of the word fig sounds familiar...

Interesting and sad to note the Google ad at the bottom (mine says "Date Chinese women"). Date? Fig?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by omk3

Interesting and amusing. No idea if it holds any truth. I'll have to look it up

But the completely opposite meaning to the english one remains.

The English meaning stems from the fact that, if you went around making this obscene gesture, you did so at the behest of a politician, for the purpose of winning favour with them.