"entomology" = etymology or linguistics; "heresay"
Alice Faber
faber at HASKINS.YALE.EDU
Sun Apr 8 00:02:58 UTC 2007
Fred Shapiro wrote:
> My article in American Speech, "Etymology of the Computer _Bug_: History
> and Folklore," which has become well known through being mentioned in the
> entry for _bug_ in the Jargon File and the Hacker's Dictionary, is
> referred to in those sources and web sites based on them as "Entomology of
> the Computer _Bug_."
>
>
On alt.folklore.urban, and probably other newsgroups, deliberate
confusion of etymology and entomology is frequent. It's right up there
with veracious/voracious and Austria/Australia.
--
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Alice Faber
faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories tel: (203)
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