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#31703
06/11/2001 4:35 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1 |
In AWAD News 33, someone wrote a post saying that the "-aster" of "philosophaster" was a pejorative suffix, and then claimed that the word "newscaster" made sense. To me, this seems like a bit of morphological confusion, because a newscaster is quite literally "one who casts news," while a philosophaster isn't one who "asts philosophs." And the word doesn't morphologically break into "newsc" and "aster." Am I wrong? To me it's like saying the words "dentist" and "desist" are etymologically related simply by the shared "-ist." I don't see much, if any, relation between the two, but I'm willing to hear arguments to the contrary.
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#31704
06/11/2001 5:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
the "-aster" of "philosophaster" was a pejorative suffix, and then claimed that the word "newscaster" made sense.
I wouldn't necessarily be looking for too much deep linguistic meaning in an email from someone called Jellybean Stonerfish*.
You'd also have to consider that perhaps a philosophaster was someone who phasted philosoes, much as a poetaster is someone who tastes poes.
*But then, I'm not so sure about taking advice from someone called Faldage, either
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#31705
06/11/2001 6:52 PM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
I would venture the opinion that mr. jellyfish is a philologaster.[smle]
I guess that would be an empty smile...
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#31706
06/12/2001 1:03 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
I would venture the opinion that mr. jellyfish is a philologaster.
And if jellyfish have feet, he'd be a pederaster.
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#31707
06/24/2001 3:10 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379 |
A philosophaster is a star philosopher.
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