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Is "pathetical" a word?
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whitemo...@gmail.com
Jan 16, 2014, 5:46:09 AM1/16/14
to
When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
Peter Young
Jan 16, 2014, 6:36:55 AM1/16/14
to
Peter.
--
Peter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004.
(US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired.
http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk
Message has been deleted
Peter T. Daniels
Jan 16, 2014, 8:52:42 AM1/16/14
to
On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
There were a number of words that appear to have two adjectival suffixes,
> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
but that's not always what they were.
Sometimes the "two-suffix" words have prevailed ("antithetical,"
"parenthetical"), but they have "thesis" in them ("pathetic" has
"pathos" in it).
quia...@yahoo.com
Jan 16, 2014, 12:35:21 PM1/16/14
to
On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 11:36:55 GMT, Peter Young <pny...@ormail.co.uk>
wrote:
>On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused.
>> Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>
>Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
M-W does show "pathetical" as an adjective under "pathetic".
It's interesting that there's no "patheticly", just "pathetically".
--
John
wrote:
>On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused.
>> Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>
>Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
It's interesting that there's no "patheticly", just "pathetically".
--
John
whitemo...@gmail.com
Jan 17, 2014, 12:44:49 AM1/17/14
to
I' still confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo? Or, is it a word going to be accepted? Or, is it a word going to be obsoleted?
Bob Martin
Jan 17, 2014, 2:22:12 AM1/17/14
to
in 2041362 20140116 113655 Peter Young <pny...@ormail.co.uk> wrote:
>On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused.
>> Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>
>Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
A biologist on the TV the other night said "genetical" - I'm sure that's not
>On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused.
>> Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>
>Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
a real word.
James Hogg
Jan 17, 2014, 3:51:45 AM1/17/14
to
"-ically" (the only exception I can think of is "publicly"). This means
that all these adjectives can potentially have a form in "-ical". Some
adjectives have parallel forms, often with different shades of meaning
(economic/economical, classic/classical, historic/historical). Many had
"-ical" in the past but now normally end in "-ic". I would have said
that "pathetical" is archaic, but the OED has examples from 1935 and
1997. Likewise, there are examples of "genetical" from the 1990s and
1990s, so it's a real word even though you and I would not use it.
Conversely, I would always say "pathological", but there are medical
journals where all such words are shortened to "pathologic".
--
James
![Peter Duncanson [BrE]'s profile photo](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a-/ALV-UjU1GGYFBCZgBCNB-pRgkosMu-ej0qpnECw3jc8uGYOTiF8a=s40-c)
Peter Duncanson [BrE]
Jan 17, 2014, 5:14:29 AM1/17/14
to
On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 21:44:49 -0800 (PST), whitemo...@gmail.com
wrote:
>I' still confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo? Or, is it a word going to be accepted? Or, is it a word going to be obsoleted?
Yes. It is a real word. "pathetical" is in the OED. Some of its senses
are obsolete.
pathetical, adj.
Etymology: < post-classical Latin patheticus pathetic adj. + -al
suffix1.
1. Arousing sadness, compassion, or sympathy; = pathetic adj. 1. Now
arch.
1563—1935
2. Expressing or arising from passion or strong emotion; = pathetic
adj. 2.
1596—1997
†3. Of or relating to the emotions or passions. Cf. pathetic adj.
3a. Obs. rare.
1603—1603
†4. Anat. Designating the trochlear nerve. Cf. pathetic adj. 5. Obs.
rare.
1681—1681
The abbreviations used there are:
adj(ective)
arch(aic)
Obs(olete)
Anat(omy)
I don't know whether the word "pathetical" is in use today. Even if it
is it might be used with a different meaning from any of those given
above.
A word is a "real word" if people use it and the people who use it
roughly agree on what it means.
An obsolete word can be revived by people choosing to use it.
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
wrote:
>I' still confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo? Or, is it a word going to be accepted? Or, is it a word going to be obsoleted?
are obsolete.
pathetical, adj.
Etymology: < post-classical Latin patheticus pathetic adj. + -al
suffix1.
1. Arousing sadness, compassion, or sympathy; = pathetic adj. 1. Now
arch.
1563—1935
2. Expressing or arising from passion or strong emotion; = pathetic
adj. 2.
1596—1997
†3. Of or relating to the emotions or passions. Cf. pathetic adj.
3a. Obs. rare.
1603—1603
†4. Anat. Designating the trochlear nerve. Cf. pathetic adj. 5. Obs.
rare.
1681—1681
The abbreviations used there are:
adj(ective)
arch(aic)
Obs(olete)
Anat(omy)
I don't know whether the word "pathetical" is in use today. Even if it
is it might be used with a different meaning from any of those given
above.
A word is a "real word" if people use it and the people who use it
roughly agree on what it means.
An obsolete word can be revived by people choosing to use it.
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
Leslie Danks
Jan 17, 2014, 5:24:44 AM1/17/14
to
"ical" form right-pondial (facing north), BICBW.
--
Les (BrE)
The days are long gone when the equipment for an attempt on Nanga Parbat
comprised stout walking boots, a tweed jacket and a stolen washing line.
Don Phillipson
Jan 17, 2014, 10:02:04 AM1/17/14
to
<whitemo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:c8a6cee3-41a6-416f...@googlegroups.com...
> I' still confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
> Or, is it a word going to be accepted? Or, is it a word going to be
> obsoleted?
It is a real word but obsolete or obsolescent. Many adjectives end in
-ic and in earlier centuries usually ended -ical, e.g. poetical = poetic.
Style preferences changed in the 20th century so that we now
prefer poetic to poetical and pathetic to pathetical. But the ending
-ical is still preferred for some adjectives, e.g. theoretical. (We now
usually encounter the word theoretic as a noun, meaning a collection
of ideas, rather than as an adjective.)
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
news:c8a6cee3-41a6-416f...@googlegroups.com...
> I' still confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
> Or, is it a word going to be accepted? Or, is it a word going to be
> obsoleted?
-ic and in earlier centuries usually ended -ical, e.g. poetical = poetic.
Style preferences changed in the 20th century so that we now
prefer poetic to poetical and pathetic to pathetical. But the ending
-ical is still preferred for some adjectives, e.g. theoretical. (We now
usually encounter the word theoretic as a noun, meaning a collection
of ideas, rather than as an adjective.)
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
Peter Young
Jan 17, 2014, 10:35:16 AM1/17/14
to
On 17 Jan 2014 Leslie Danks <leslie...@aon.at> wrote:
> James Hogg wrote:
>> Bob Martin wrote:
>>> in 2041362 20140116 113655 Peter Young <pny...@ormail.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>>>>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit
>>>>> confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>>>> Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
>>>
>>> A biologist on the TV the other night said "genetical" - I'm sure
>>> that's not a real word.
>>
>> All English words with the suffix "-ic" have an adverb ending in
>> "-ically" (the only exception I can think of is "publicly"). This means
>> that all these adjectives can potentially have a form in "-ical". Some
>> adjectives have parallel forms, often with different shades of meaning
>> (economic/economical, classic/classical, historic/historical). Many had
>> "-ical" in the past but now normally end in "-ic". I would have said
>> that "pathetical" is archaic, but the OED has examples from 1935 and
>> 1997. Likewise, there are examples of "genetical" from the 1990s and
>> 1990s, so it's a real word even though you and I would not use it.
>>
>> Conversely, I would always say "pathological", but there are medical
>> journals where all such words are shortened to "pathologic".
> I have the impression that the "ic" form tends to be left-pondial and the
> "ical" form right-pondial (facing north), BICBW.
+1
> James Hogg wrote:
>> Bob Martin wrote:
>>> in 2041362 20140116 113655 Peter Young <pny...@ormail.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> On 16 Jan 2014 whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages,
>>>>> including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit
>>>>> confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>>>> Looks like a real word for me, but a touch archaic.
>>>
>>> A biologist on the TV the other night said "genetical" - I'm sure
>>> that's not a real word.
>>
>> All English words with the suffix "-ic" have an adverb ending in
>> "-ically" (the only exception I can think of is "publicly"). This means
>> that all these adjectives can potentially have a form in "-ical". Some
>> adjectives have parallel forms, often with different shades of meaning
>> (economic/economical, classic/classical, historic/historical). Many had
>> "-ical" in the past but now normally end in "-ic". I would have said
>> that "pathetical" is archaic, but the OED has examples from 1935 and
>> 1997. Likewise, there are examples of "genetical" from the 1990s and
>> 1990s, so it's a real word even though you and I would not use it.
>>
>> Conversely, I would always say "pathological", but there are medical
>> journals where all such words are shortened to "pathologic".
> I have the impression that the "ic" form tends to be left-pondial and the
> "ical" form right-pondial (facing north), BICBW.
Athel Cornish-Bowden
Jan 17, 2014, 1:04:07 PM1/17/14
to
20th century was called "The Genetical Theory of Natural selection" (R.
A. Fisher, 1930). So your certainty is not well founded.
--
athel
Bob Martin
Jan 18, 2014, 2:00:54 AM1/18/14
to
Bob Martin
Jan 18, 2014, 2:02:05 AM1/18/14
to
Athel Cornish-Bowden
Jan 18, 2014, 6:05:31 AM1/18/14
to
The noun "genetics" is usually singular but in some contexts can be
plural: "genetics is a fascinating subject" but "the genetics of
lemmings are complicated".
--
athel
Mike L
Jan 19, 2014, 4:29:44 PM1/19/14
to
On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:50:19 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
<gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
<gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>
>There were a number of words that look as though they have more than one
>
>adjective suffix. (That's probably not what it is, because "thesis" is
>the base.)
I don't see a connection with "thesis", which is to do with placing;
the Greek "pathEtikos" is about suffering or undergoing.
>
>But there are also other words where the "two-suffix" form is the one
>now used, such as "antithetical," "parenthetical."
--
Mike.
Mike L
Jan 19, 2014, 4:32:10 PM1/19/14
to
pathetical."
--
Mike.
Peter T. Daniels
Jan 19, 2014, 4:43:06 PM1/19/14
to
On Sunday, January 19, 2014 4:29:44 PM UTC-5, Mike L wrote:
> On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:50:19 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
> <gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
> >On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
> >There were a number of words that look as though they have more than one
> >adjective suffix. (That's probably not what it is, because "thesis" is
> >the base.)
>
> I don't see a connection with "thesis", which is to do with placing;
> the Greek "pathEtikos" is about suffering or undergoing.
Nu, you should have looked at the corrected posting that followed immediately!
> On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:50:19 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
> <gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
> >On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
> >There were a number of words that look as though they have more than one
> >adjective suffix. (That's probably not what it is, because "thesis" is
> >the base.)
>
> I don't see a connection with "thesis", which is to do with placing;
> the Greek "pathEtikos" is about suffering or undergoing.
If you used Google Groups, you wouldn't have seen this one at all.
Mike L
Jan 22, 2014, 5:54:08 PM1/22/14
to
On Sun, 19 Jan 2014 13:43:06 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
Mike.
<gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>On Sunday, January 19, 2014 4:29:44 PM UTC-5, Mike L wrote:
>> On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:50:19 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
>> <gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> >On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> >> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>> >There were a number of words that look as though they have more than one
>> >adjective suffix. (That's probably not what it is, because "thesis" is
>> >the base.)
>>
>> I don't see a connection with "thesis", which is to do with placing;
>> the Greek "pathEtikos" is about suffering or undergoing.
>
>Nu, you should have looked at the corrected posting that followed immediately!
I still haven't. Been busy lately, so it may have got deleted: sorry.
>On Sunday, January 19, 2014 4:29:44 PM UTC-5, Mike L wrote:
>> On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:50:19 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
>> <gram...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> >On Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46:09 AM UTC-5, whitemo...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> >> When I google, I came across the word "pathetical" in some pages, including some pages intended to be a dictionary. I'm a bit confused. Is "pathetical" a real word? Or, is that just a typo?
>> >There were a number of words that look as though they have more than one
>> >adjective suffix. (That's probably not what it is, because "thesis" is
>> >the base.)
>>
>> I don't see a connection with "thesis", which is to do with placing;
>> the Greek "pathEtikos" is about suffering or undergoing.
>
>Nu, you should have looked at the corrected posting that followed immediately!
>
>If you used Google Groups, you wouldn't have seen this one at all.
--
>If you used Google Groups, you wouldn't have seen this one at all.
Mike.
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