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#188946 - 01/25/10 10:48 PM Re: polypoly [Re: kah454]
Jackie Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11578
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
THEOORIENTEERING... for finding or discovering the pathway to God? The compass being scripture. I love this one! I'll have to tell my hubby about it: he's a Scoutmaster.

zmjezhd, thanks for all the etymologies. Interesting (but not surprising) to find out that so many of the IE ones are to do with money, trade, etc.

Psst, Ray--don't be gone so long between posts, eh?

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#188957 - 01/26/10 03:23 PM Re: polypoly [Re: Jackie]
kah454 Offline
journeyman

Registered: 09/22/09
Posts: 95
Loc: Long Island, NY USA
If poly is to sell, would theoergonopoly (God's work for sale) be like selling indulgences? I would prefer Many the works of God. I guess it is in the pronunciation then?

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#188959 - 01/26/10 09:21 PM Re: polypoly [Re: kah454]
Jackie Offline
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Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11578
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
Hang on a minute; I thought ergo meant thus or therefore. How can it fit here, or in, say, ergonomic?

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#188960 - 01/26/10 09:35 PM Re: polypoly [Re: Jackie]
Faldage Offline
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Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13653
Ergo v. Ergonomic. It's that old Latin v. Greek thang again. Ergo meaning therefore is from the Latin ergo, "therefore". The ergo in ergonomic is from the Greek ergon, "work".

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#188961 - 01/26/10 10:54 PM Re: polypoly [Re: Faldage]
zmjezhd Offline
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Registered: 08/13/05
Posts: 3269
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Greek ergon, "work".

Yup, and the Greek word is cognate with English work, the past tense of which verb is wrought.
_________________________
Ceci n'est pas un seing.

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#188962 - 01/27/10 04:30 AM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: RHWoodman]
RayButler Offline
newbie

Registered: 07/28/08
Posts: 25
Loc: Ireland
Originally Posted By: RHWoodman
Ray, pedantic or not "Legos" is in common usage these days; just ask any kid. smile



Robert, it probably depends on the country. I have NEVER heard anyone, child or adult, say "Legos" here in Ireland. I was an obsessive Lego collector as a child (every Christmas and birthday, it's all I ever wanted)...and now my little girls are really into it too, along with their friends and cousins.

BTW, your "oligotheolotry" is really good!

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#188966 - 01/27/10 12:10 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: RayButler]
kah454 Offline
journeyman

Registered: 09/22/09
Posts: 95
Loc: Long Island, NY USA
I am pondering the word today artiodactyl, even number of toes or fingers and its companion perissodactyl, odd number of toes, and the creatures that have these characteristics. How would man fit this? Conventional wisdom says perissodactyl, 5 fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot. But what about those who consider our opposable thumbs not to be fingers. Would that make us misceredactyl; pedioperissodactyl by foot and manoartiodactyl by hand?

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#188970 - 01/27/10 07:19 PM Re: "The Legos of language" [Re: kah454]
Faldage Offline
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Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13653
We're perissodactyl. A better question might be whether pandas are artiodactyl or perissodactyl. Their thumbs are not fingers at all but an unruly wrist bone. And then there's cats with five toes on the front feet and four on the rear feet.

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#188976 - 01/27/10 10:12 PM Re: polypoly [Re: Faldage]
Jackie Offline
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Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11578
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
The ergo in ergonomic is from the Greek ergon, "work". Ah; thanks. The works that put the Greeks in the ascendency ergon now. Got it--I hope.

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#188996 - 01/29/10 01:06 PM Re: polypoly [Re: Jackie]
BranShea Offline
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Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
Week's over. Of the 25 possible (dictionary valid?) combinations with Anu's Lego/Legos/Lego parts we have 6.
theogony, oligopoly, artiodactyl, heliolatry, hagiography, heliography.

I did not find heliopoly in a dictionary. But it might be there.
Means there are 19 still out there. Anyone still interested in finding those? Or is the game over?

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