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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Splendor, squalor, fetor
Everybody knows these pairs:
splendor, splendid
squalor, squalid
(The British write "splendour" where we Leftpondians and the Pope in his encyclicals (in Latin) write "splendor"; I don't know whether similar comments apply to "squalor".)
And everybody knows the word "fetid". But "fetor" seems less well-known, if I'm not mistaken.
What other pairs follow this pattern? Is there a simple etymological explanation? (I don't mean the question too literally, i.e., don't just answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy
splendor, splendid
squalor, squalid
(The British write "splendour" where we Leftpondians and the Pope in his encyclicals (in Latin) write "splendor"; I don't know whether similar comments apply to "squalor".)
And everybody knows the word "fetid". But "fetor" seems less well-known, if I'm not mistaken.
What other pairs follow this pattern? Is there a simple etymological explanation? (I don't mean the question too literally, i.e., don't just answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy
Top answer
[nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid[/nq] [nq:1]And everybody knows the word "fetid". [/nq] But better known than sordor. And rancor is not quite to rancid what splendor is to splendid.
- [nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid[/nq] [nq:1]And everybody knows the word "fetid".
- [/nq] But better known than sordor.
- And rancor is not quite to rancid what splendor is to splendid.
- Nor valor to valid.
- Is a funny person humid?
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6 Answers
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[nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid[/nq]
[nq:1]And everybody knows the word "fetid". But "fetor" seems less well-known, if I'm not mistaken.[/nq]
But better known than sordor.
And rancor is not quite to rancid what splendor is to splendid. Nor valor to valid.
Is a funny person humid?
I'm afraid this post is somewhat lacking in lucor.
[nq:1]And everybody knows the word "fetid". But "fetor" seems less well-known, if I'm not mistaken.[/nq]
But better known than sordor.
And rancor is not quite to rancid what splendor is to splendid. Nor valor to valid.
Is a funny person humid?
I'm afraid this post is somewhat lacking in lucor.
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Michael J Hardy filted:
[nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid (The British write "splendour" where we Leftpondians and the Pope in his ... (I don't mean the question too literally, i.e., don't just answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy[/nq]
"fervor"
"horror"
"pallor"
Sadly, an antonym of that last one does not seem to form the d
[nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid (The British write "splendour" where we Leftpondians and the Pope in his ... (I don't mean the question too literally, i.e., don't just answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy[/nq]
"fervor"
"horror"
"pallor"
Sadly, an antonym of that last one does not seem to form the d
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[nq:1]"fervor" "horror" "pallor" Sadly, an antonym of that last one does not seem to form the derivative "colid"..r[/nq]
Likewise dogs don't suffer from rabo(u)r. If they did, they wouldn't look too glamid.
Cando(u)r/candid is obviously a regular case. Not sure about vapo(u)r/vapid.
Tumo(u)r/tumid is a semi-interesting one.
Likewise dogs don't suffer from rabo(u)r. If they did, they wouldn't look too glamid.
Cando(u)r/candid is obviously a regular case. Not sure about vapo(u)r/vapid.
Tumo(u)r/tumid is a semi-interesting one.
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[nq:1]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid (The British write "splendour" where we Leftpondians and the Pope in his ... (I don't mean the question too literally, i.e., don't just answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy[/nq]
I don't know where you look for etymological information, but Merriam-Webster and the American Heritage Dictionary are pretty goo
I don't know where you look for etymological information, but Merriam-Webster and the American Heritage Dictionary are pretty goo
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[nq:2]"fervor" "horror" "pallor" Sadly, an antonym of that last one does not seem to form the derivative "colid"..r[/nq]
[nq:1]Likewise dogs don't suffer from rabo(u)r. If they did, they wouldn't look too glamid. Cando(u)r/candid is obviously a regular case. Not sure about vapo(u)r/vapid. Tumo(u)r/tumid is a semi-interesting one.[/nq]
Languor, torpor, candour, stupor. "Humid" if it's an aq
[nq:1]Likewise dogs don't suffer from rabo(u)r. If they did, they wouldn't look too glamid. Cando(u)r/candid is obviously a regular case. Not sure about vapo(u)r/vapid. Tumo(u)r/tumid is a semi-interesting one.[/nq]
Languor, torpor, candour, stupor. "Humid" if it's an aq
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[nq:2]Everybody knows these pairs: splendor, splendid squalor, squalid (The British ... answer "yes" and close your posting there.) Mike Hardy[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't know where you look for etymological information, but Merriam-Webster and the American Heritage Dictionary are pretty good. M-W ... as a noun and "horrid" as an adjective. Is it that simple? No, the Latin adjective was "horridus". Pre
[nq:1]I don't know where you look for etymological information, but Merriam-Webster and the American Heritage Dictionary are pretty good. M-W ... as a noun and "horrid" as an adjective. Is it that simple? No, the Latin adjective was "horridus". Pre
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