RE: Fwd: a little history lesson

[E L Wimett <SILVERDRAGON@Charleston.Net>]

Poster: E L Wimett <SILVERDRAGON@Charleston.Net>

Well, I did not really think you were advocating the acronymic approach to etymology (even if we both have been dealing too much with the folks at the Navy Yard of late!!!).  The OED listing is more than vague:  it is one step this side of the listings in contemporaneous Greek reference dictionaries which give only a Latin verb which, when you check the appropriate Latin dictionary, state something like "engaging in unnatural vice".  (This being of little use when the possible objects are any one or more of a shepherd, two shepherdesses, a goatherd, and assorted sheep and goats of both genders. . .)



Poster: Michael and MJ Houghton <herveus@access.digex.net>

Howdy!

> 
> Poster: E L Wimett <SILVERDRAGON@Charleston.Net>
> 
> Well, actually, Mike, it is not an acronym. 
[snip]

I did not claim that it was...I noted a couple of candidates and opined
that they were stories.

My citation of the OED was from memory, but I didn't try to be overly
precise in my assertions until I could check them. I do recall that the
OED did not make specific claims to the etymology of the word, characterizing
it as "vague", IIRC.

yours,
Herveus
-- 
Michael and MJ Houghton   | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly
herveus@access.digex.net  | White Wolf and the Phoenix
Bowie, MD, USA            | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff
                          | http://www.access.digex.net/~herveus/
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