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epiphenomenon

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:33 pm
by William Hupy
Who slapped this word together? It seems so German to do that to a few innocent and unrelated words.

Re: epiphenomenon

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:43 pm
by Slava
Given its usage, I'd say whoever it was was pathological. :D

Re: epiphenomenon

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:41 pm
by Perry Lassiter
It does indeed seem similar to the German tendency to ram words together all sorts of ways. I call them boxcar words, like trains jamming boxcars together.

The epi-is funny. It's a Greek preposition that can mean all sorts of things, partially depending on the case of the noun that follows it. Simplest meaning is "upon."

But epi- as a prefix in English can mean:
On; upon: epiphyte.
Over; above: epicenter.
Around: epicarp.
Close to; near: epicalyx.
Besides: epiphenomenon.
After: epilogue.

Nuff to drive ya crazee. Easiest for me to grasp is the medical idea of a second disease, but unrelated to the other one.

Re: epiphenomenon

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:48 pm
by Philip Hudson
An apt observation, William Hupy. You have been with us a while, but have not posted much. I hope to hear more from you.

Re: epiphenomenon

Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:25 am
by William Hupy
Philip - I was not able to find it. I had been plaguing the good Doctor Goodword for years with suggestions via email. He advised me to use the Alpha Agora, but I became lost and now am found.