Etymological research is great fun, like digging for buried linguistic treasure. It’s sometimes of limited use for current speech, because the accepted meanings of words (both denotatively and connotatively) can shift drastically over time, but it’s often VERY useful when it comes to spelling. Once you can break words down into their components, like a car or an M-16, not only will it help you understand how to put them back together properly but you can apply those principles to OTHER words, and get the meaning of an unfamiliar term without HAVING to look everything up in the dictionary.
The answer I was looking for is, “An entomologist studies insects; an etymologist is someone who can tell you the difference between an entomologist and an etymologist.”
oranaiche over 12 years ago
“Here’s a dictionary. Why don’t you find out?”
arye uygur over 12 years ago
Cynthia doesn’t seem to have wanted an anwer; she’s enjoying the fact that she stumped the teacher.
Norman Neuberger over 12 years ago
there’s no good reason this question stumped the teacher, the answer is pretty straightforward.
doc white over 12 years ago
Say,I couldn’t understand this crap while in school,And I sure don’t care at 71.
runar over 12 years ago
What is the difference between an entomologist and an etymologist?
TheSpanishInquisition over 12 years ago
“Etymology” derives from the Greek words “Etumon” (meaning “true sense”) and “Logia” (meaning “study”).
fritzoid Premium Member over 12 years ago
Etymological research is great fun, like digging for buried linguistic treasure. It’s sometimes of limited use for current speech, because the accepted meanings of words (both denotatively and connotatively) can shift drastically over time, but it’s often VERY useful when it comes to spelling. Once you can break words down into their components, like a car or an M-16, not only will it help you understand how to put them back together properly but you can apply those principles to OTHER words, and get the meaning of an unfamiliar term without HAVING to look everything up in the dictionary.
runar over 12 years ago
The answer I was looking for is, “An entomologist studies insects; an etymologist is someone who can tell you the difference between an entomologist and an etymologist.”
baileydean over 12 years ago
I would be lost without a dictionary in the house. My husband and I always compete on word usage… and let the dictionary (printed) be the judge.
__Guess that makes us weird, huh…?:ºJ