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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Is this a real word? #10184 11/12/2000 12:57 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Rupert Brooke wrote to a friend in 1914, and used the word polypist. He wrote, "...so polypist and yet benevolent...". He added what to me was an amazing and amusing note: "=of many faiths, not bespattered by a parrot, O Greekless!" Did he make this word up, or perhaps mis-spell a real word? I can't find it, nor come up with anything close to it. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Home Cookin' #10185 11/12/2000 2:57 PM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA This looks to be to be a home-made word, probably inspired by the epithet "papist" converted to a pun by substituting "poly" (many, diverse, varietous) for "pap" (referring to the Bishop of Rome). I especially appreciate the comment on parrot urine, however. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is this a real word? #10186 11/13/2000 8:31 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,027 Switzerland wsieber old hand wsieber old hand Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,027 Switzerland polypist was most probably composed from poly ( greek, =many) and pisteuo (greek,= I believe) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is this a real word? #10187 11/13/2000 11:11 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Thank you, wsieber! Certainly sounds likely. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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