post-humus? Pronunciation and possible eggcorn

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:34 AM -0400 8/12/09, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>Did I just hear on CNN News (about 10:23 AM EDT) the news announcer
>say that Harvey Milk was to be given today a Presidential Medal of
>Freedom "post-humusly"?
>
>Must mean "after planting and decay".
>
>Joel
>
The eggcorn actually goes back to Late Latin, when "postumus" became
"posthumus" via influence by "humus" (which, coincidentally, is not
only the word for "humus" but cognate with "homo", so that
posthumusness refers obliquely not only to burial but to
ex-personhood).

LH

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