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#123910 - 02/25/04 07:25 PM genuine
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
I found this while looking for something else:
genuine - 1596, from L. genuinus "native, natural," from root of gignere "beget" (see genus), perhaps infl. in form by contrasting adulterinus "spurious." Alternative etymology is from L. genu "knee," from an ancient custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn by placing it on his knee.



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#123911 - 02/26/04 06:20 AM Re: genuine
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12533
Alternative etymology is from L. genu "knee," from an ancient custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn by placing it on his knee.

Boy, does *that one sound like a folk etymology.


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#123912 - 02/26/04 08:10 AM Re: genuine
Buffalo Shrdlu Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 6690
Loc: Vermont
well, it's certainly an interesting ankle on it...


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#123913 - 02/26/04 09:12 AM Re: genuine
jheem Offline
veteran

Registered: 01/06/04
Posts: 1474
Loc: California
Boy, does *that one sound like a folk etymology.

Yes it does. Most relate genuinus 'innate, native, natural' with the same root that noun genus 'race, stock, breed' and the verb gigno 'to beget, bear' come from. There is another word genuinus in Latin which means 'of or belonging to the cheek' (dentes genuini 'jaw-teeth, back-teeth') from gena 'cheek'.


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#123914 - 02/26/04 09:39 AM Re: genuine
Faldage Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 12533
another word genuinus in Latin which means 'of or belonging to the cheek'

Which would add a touch of irony if indeed, cheek comes from a word meaning jaw and jaw from a word meaning cheek.


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#123915 - 02/26/04 09:46 AM Re: genuine
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
And not all etymology is genuine.


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#123916 - 02/26/04 09:52 AM Re: genuine
jheem Offline
veteran

Registered: 01/06/04
Posts: 1474
Loc: California
Nor is all that is genuine tongue in cheek.


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#123917 - 02/26/04 10:26 AM Re: genuine
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Tongue in cheek risks upper cut linguectomy.


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#123918 - 02/26/04 10:36 AM Re: genuine
jheem Offline
veteran

Registered: 01/06/04
Posts: 1474
Loc: California
linguectomy

Is there a medical term glossectomy? Linguasection? I wonder if jaws and knees are connected? Both crooked.


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#123919 - 02/26/04 10:44 AM Re: genuine
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Dear jheem: I found several sites mentioning "glossectomy",
none for "linguectomy". I'm biting my tongue.


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