Re: OT: polyonomy

The Greek word for "name" is actually onoma. And IIRC I've only ever
seen "heteronymy" used, but not "heteronomy" -- are both entries in
AHD? I don't have a copy myself so I can't check, but perhaps they are
variants on the same etymon. Perhaps, also, that "polyonomy" was a
coinage on the author's part.

Eugene

2006/12/9, caeruleancentaur <caeruleancentaur@...>:
> >>caeruleancentaur wrote:
>
> >> The featured article today on Wikipedia is about Macedonia.  The
> >> author uses the word "polyonomy" along
> >> with "heteronomy."  "Heteronomy" is an entry in the AHD.
> >> However, "polyonomy" is not.  I know what the author means, but I
> >> should think the word would be "polynomy."  The word doesn't seem
> >> to warrant that extra "o."  Neither form is in the AHD.
>
> >Eric Christopherson <rakko@...> wrote:
>
> >Anyway, if the etymological meaning is "many names", I think it
> >should be <polyonymy>. The "extra" O is part of the Greek word for
> >"name", <onymos>. <Polynomy>, AFAICT, would mean "many systems of
> >government" or "many bodies of knowledge". <Polyonomy> seems like
> >a conflation of the two. (But I am not an expert.)
>
> I see your point.  The prefix can be either "hetero-" or "heter-"
> depending on what follows: hetero-sexual, heter-onomy.
>
> There is only one form for "poly-": poly-gon, poly-onomy.  There is
> the noun "polynom," so the two different noun stems would have to be
> differentiated.  "Polyonomy" just looks funny until the etymology is
> known.
>
> Charlie
> http://wiki.frath.net/senjecas
>

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