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#123910 02/26/04 12:25 AM
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wwh Offline OP
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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.



#123911 02/26/04 11:20 AM
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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.


#123912 02/26/04 01:10 PM
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well, it's certainly an interesting ankle on it...



formerly known as etaoin...
#123913 02/26/04 02:12 PM
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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'.


#123914 02/26/04 02:39 PM
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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.


#123915 02/26/04 02:46 PM
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And not all etymology is genuine.


#123916 02/26/04 02:52 PM
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Nor is all that is genuine tongue in cheek.


#123917 02/26/04 03:26 PM
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Tongue in cheek risks upper cut linguectomy.


#123918 02/26/04 03:36 PM
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linguectomy

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


#123919 02/26/04 03:44 PM
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Dear jheem: I found several sites mentioning "glossectomy",
none for "linguectomy". I'm biting my tongue.


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