[slight editing to change top-post to bottom bost]
On Mon, 10 Nov 2003, Kenneth Gorelick wrote:
>On Nov 10, 2003, at 2:56 AM, David Silberstein wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 9 Nov 2003, Philip Hart wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 9 Nov 2003, David Silberstein wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sun, 9 Nov 2003, Philip Hart wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> (what's below hypothesis?)
>>>>
>>>> Suggestion?
>>>> Notion?
>>>> Idea?
>>>> Pulled-from-out-of-arse wild speculation?
>>>
>>> I'm looking for some philosophy-of-science-blessed term, if possible
>>> with a Greek root....
>>
>> "Idea" is Greek. How about "ideation"? More to the point,
>> "*pararectal* ideation"? OK, so "rectum" is latin, but "para" is
>> definitely Greek.
>>
>
>In medicine we often use the suffix "genic" to mean "arising from"
>although it actually means "giving birth to". So Rectogenic would be a
>good term, alternative, anogenic, sigmoidogenic or colonogenic,
>depending on how far up the idea was pulled from...
When I was looking at the etymology for the the various terms, I noted
that "rectum" derives from Latin "rectus", meaning "straight" (and the
word "correct" is from the same root). For "para-", the OED states:
As a preposition, Gr "para" had the sense 'by the side of,
beside', whence 'alongside of, by, past, beyond', etc. In
composition it had the same senses, with such cognate adverbial
ones as 'to one side, aside, amiss, faulty, irregular, disordered,
improper, wrong'; also expressing subsidiary relation, alteration,
perversion, simulation, etc.
So even ignoring the low, indeed, scatalogical, humor, "pararectal"
could very well mean "something which just ain't right", "reasoning
which is not straight" (could be bent, twisted, helical or
discontinuous), and so on. It is most suitable for the sort of wild
speculation I (and others) sometimes indulge in.
But I like "rectogenic" as well.
Hmm. I think I may start using "taurofecal" (or "taurocopral"?) as
well, as in: "This politician gave a singularly taurofecal speech",
or "The lawyer is notable for his extemporaneous rectogenic
taurofecality".