Aesthetic/estetica

>What does este'tica mean? The opposite of aesthetic? Is there an
opposite
>to aesthetic? The English term is used to refer to a style, mood, or
>feeling, usually in reference to some artistic endeavour. It's not a
word
>used in daily discourse, and its exact meaning is unclear to many
people.
>Like me.
Aesthetic has to do with fine feelings (usually those produced by
something beautiful); its opposite, anaesthetic, has to do with a
complete lack of feelings.

"Opposite" in a loose sense of course. :)  This is an interesting
example of how meaning becomes specialized.  The Greek "aesthet-" had to
do with feeling in general, not just perception of beauty, and so
"anaesthetic" would be a natural opposite.  But since "aesthetic" has
become so specialized, "anaesthetic" no longer seems like a proper
opposite to it.

By the way, Greek [aI] became Latin [aE], which became Proto-Romance
[e:] which became Spanish [e] which is why it's "estetica" in Spanish.
The [a] in front of it looks like the Greek alpha-privative to a Spanish
speaker, but of course a proper alpha-privative in front of a word that
starts with a vowel would have an epenthetic nu -- as in "anaesthetic."

Ed

Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com