Donna Richoux    845024 Thu, 19 Feb 04 11:32 PM "Once again: I fail to reconcile "path" in "homeopath" (1 denoting a practitioner of curative treatment: homeopath) with path's lexical foundation. ( ORIGIN back-form. from -pathy, or from Gk -pathe:s ‘-sufferer’.)" What is there to reconcile? You know what a "back-formation" means, right? First there was a noun "homeopathy," and then someone decided that a person who practices homeopathy must be a "homeopath." It just comes from shortening the form of the word, it no longer relates to the original root histories. There are lots of back formations but naturally all examples escape me. Except that just the other day, someone pointed out that "trouble-shooter" existed before "trouble-shoot." Best Donna Richoux Donna Richoux Nouns

	Michael West    845073 Fri, 20 Feb 04 12:21 AM "Once again: I fail to reconcile "path" in "homeopath" (1 denoting a practitioner of curative treatment: homeopath) with path's lexical foundation. ( ORIGIN back-form. from -pathy, or from Gk -pathe:s ‘-sufferer’.)" I take your point. I'd guess those are simply truncated forms, for convenience, of "osteopathic practitioner" or whatever. Maybe. Michael West Michael West

	Arcadian Rises    845781 Fri, 20 Feb 04 04:15 PM "What is there to reconcile? You know what a "back-formation" means, right? First there was a noun "homeopathy," and then ... "homeopath." It just comes from shortening the form of the word, it no longer relates to the original root histories." You're absolutely right, there is not need of reconciliation, or even slightest agreement with etymology in cases of back formation. back-formation n : a word invented (usually unwittingly by subtracting an affix) on the assumption that a familiar word derives from it. "There are lots of back formations but naturally all examples escape me." The typical example is "Utopia" (Gr for nowhere land). But one of the most illistrative examples is "cheesburger". Arcadian Rises Nouns, Affix

	Arcadian Rises    845780 Fri, 20 Feb 04 04:16 PM "Once again: I fail to reconcile "path" in "homeopath" (1 ... ( ORIGIN back-form. from -pathy, or from Gk -pathe:s '-sufferer'.)" "Homeopathy - treating a disease by prescribing small doses of "drugs" which produce symptoms *similar* to those of the (1) *disease* itself. Homeo - similar pathy - suffering (1) disease - dis + ease - suffering." That explains "homeopathy", but not "homeopath". Arcadian Rises