etymological = "semantic"

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

Yes. Greek "etymos" means "true," and so the writer seems to be speaking of *truly* eternal youth --- eternal youth in its truest sense.
 
Gerald Cohen

________________________________

From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Laurence Horn
Sent: Thu 7/5/2007 12:52 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: etymological = "semantic"



At 10:46 AM -0700 7/5/07, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>2007 _New Yorker_ (July 2) 25: [T]he gang of uptown "girls" (this
>breed of woman seeks not only cosmetic but etymological eternal
>youth)...function as a kind of pedicured Greek chorus.
>
>   I'm not even sure what "etymological" eternal youth would mean.
>
>   JL

or maybe = "literal", now that "literal" no longer means 'literal'?

LH

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