CHAT: phages etc. (was: Re: Gaelic Thing)

John Cowan wrote:
>>>
Thomas Leigh scripsit:
> I have no idea what "phagocytate" means, but wow, what a great word! ;-)
A phagocyte is a virus that infests bacteria; it moves in, subverts the
bacterial reproduction machinery to make more viruses instead, and
eventually bursts the bacterium and releases zillions of viruses
on an unsuspecting world.
<<<

As far as I remember, although I'm no virologist, you're talking about a
bacteriophage (or phage for short).  I've generally heard 'phagocyte' used
to
describe a cell capable of phagocytosis, which is the 'eating' of some
debris or foreign organism by a host cell.  The verb Christophe mentions
would usually be 'phagocytose' in the circles I mix in, although there may
of course be variants.

When I first learned this, I remember being deeply troubled that the
morphemes were in the wrong order - I thought (and still think, secretly)
they should have been 'cytophage' for the cell and 'cytophagy' for the
eating process.  But the world didn't listen. :)

ObConlang (?Ob- in this context...) : I apologise for my recent lurkdom and
insist that I do intend to launch Telona (remember?) on the world in the
semi-near future .... but it's hard, it's hard ... :)

Jonathan.

'O dear white children casual as birds,
Playing among the ruined languages...'
Auden/Britten, 'Hymn to St. Cecilia'