• proselytize •
Pronunciation: prah-sê-lê-taiz • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To convert to your way of thinking, cause, or religion; to make a proselyte or convert.
Notes: Today's Good Word is a verb built from the noun proselyte "convert" by adding the suffix -ize. The action noun from today's verb is created by adding the suffix -m, proselytism. A person who proselytizes is either a proselytizer or simply a proselytist. Did you follow all that? A proselytizer proselytizes proselytes. Of course, outside the US, the spelling is usually proselytise for the verb and proselytiser for the personal noun.
In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned." Of course, proselytes need not be religious converts: "Luke Warrum has been proselytizing for his free downtown
Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Greek proselytos "stranger, proselyte (someone who comes to a place)", a word comprising pros "to, toward" + elyth-, a variant of the verb erkhesthai "to come". The origin of erkhesthai is a mystery but we do find pros in a few other words like prosody "the theory of verse and poetry", which comes from pros + ode "song". (Today we are once again grateful to Mark Bailey for sharing his vocabulary with us here and in the Alpha Agora through his suggestions of excellent Good Words like this one.)
PROSELYTIZE
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PROSELYTIZE
• The Good Dr. Goodword
-
- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
- Location: Crownsville, MD
Re: PROSELYTIZE
HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?...
In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned." Of course, proselytes need not be religious converts: "Luke Warrum has been proselytizing for his free downtown
...
( ... his free downtown) sauna -- billed as The coolest place in then entire city!
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
Re: PROSELYTIZE
Of course not. Who doesn't like a good Roste?In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned."
Re: PROSELYTIZE
Thanks - I thought it was just my pc...HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?
-
- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 2578
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
- Location: Crownsville, MD
Re: PROSELYTIZE
Nah; probably because we're both PI.Thanks - I thought it was just my pc...HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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