[Lexicog] suffix -dom

[Hayim Sheynin]

Dear all,

I did not follow entire discussion on the semantics of the suffix
-dom, and maybe someone
already mentioned what I have to state.
First of all I feel that the major function of -dom is to serve
formation of abstract nouns from
other nouns or adjectives. In this function it is a parallel to -ing
suffix used for formation of
abstract nouns from verbal forms. (Cp. Lat. supinum form and words
formed with suffixes
-a, -ia, -um, -ium, -as (like scientia, itum, gravitas, universitas, humanitas)
As regarding 'dogdom' and 'catdom' I feel they are more or less
artificial words (maybe
neologisms), and it doesn't matter that one is more frequent than the
other. One should
check their stylistic use. Perhaps they are used in a kind of
humoristic meaning, something
like the kingdom of dogs and cats. As for several other meaning of
-dom, 1) some of the
suffixes have more than one meaning; 2) the language has economy
principle; 3) in difference to
some precise sciences like math, the language has advantage of
selectivity principle.

I hope this is helpful.

Hayim Sheynin

On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 12:38 PM, Kenneth C. Hill
<kennethchill at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I stand corrected and, as a dictionary compiler, I should have known better.
> When something is not in "the dictionary" it does not mean it isn't used.
> But with the number of hits for catdom being only 15.6% of those for dogdom,
> the question of dogs vs. cats remains.
>
> --Ken
>
> --- On Tue, 10/14/08, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> From: Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>
> Subject: Re: [Lexicog] suffix -dom
> To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 1:16 PM
>
> Since Google gives 5370 hits for catdom and 34,500 for dogdom but catdom is
> evidently not in the dictionary, it seems that the lexicography is going to
> the dogs. BB
>
> On Oct 14, 2008, at 12:12 PM, Fritz Goerling wrote:
>
> That is a deep philosophical question, Ken.
>
> What does it say about dogs and cats?
>
>
>
> -- Fritz
>
>
>
> There's dogdom but no catdom. What does this say about the semantics of
> -dom?
>
> --Ken
>
> --- On Tue, 10/1.
>
>
>
>
> 

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