Heard on The Jud es: "bartend(e)ress"

[Baker, John]

        The former, but not in the way you might expect.  Latin testis,
witness, is the etymon of testator, testimony, testify, testis,
testicle, and related terms.  There are multiple theories as to how a
legal term came to have a physiological meaning.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Bill Palmer
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 10:45 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Heard on The Jud es: "bartend(e)ress"

Interesting allusion or folk etymology?

Bill Palmer

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott" <harview at MONTANA.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: Heard on The Jud es: "bartend(e)ress"


> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Scott <harview at MONTANA.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Heard on The Jud es: "bartend(e)ress"
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 02:27:04PM -0500, Bill Palmer wrote:
>>
>> has the "-ix" ("avaitrix", "administratix") suffix completely
>> disappeared from usage?
>>
>
> As an attorney, I use 'testatrix' in the wills I prepare for female
> clients. I find it oddly humourous, considering the origin of the word

> 'testator'....
>
> Scott Swanson

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