QT in the Chicago Sun Times poses the following question. Does anyone have some creative words?
A British study finds an accelerating rate of disappearance of various animal and plant species indicates we may be closer than we thought to a 6th mass extinction event to follow the Ordovician-Silurian Extinction of 439 million years ago, the Late Devonian Extinction of 364 million years ago, the Permian-Triassic Extinction of 251 million years ago, the Triassic Extinction of 200 million years ago and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction of 65 million years ago.
What should we call ours???? Go to it, Wordcrafters!
The name has already been coined and has fairly wide circulation: the geologist Paul Crutzen proposed the term 'anthropocene' in 2000 for the epoch in which human activity has been shaping the earth. The sixth great extinction is well underway and marks the Holocene/Anthropocene boundary.
I've seen the species we belong to spelled Homo sapien more than a couple of times in the past few months. The {s} is not a plural marker, but is part of the present participle ending -Vns in Latin: homo 'human' + sapiens 'wise' < sapio 'to be wise; to taste'. The plural, though pedantic, would be Homines sapientes.
quote:Originally posted by jheem: I've seen the species we belong to spelled _Homo sapien_ more than a couple of times in the past few months.
I'm confused. Are you saying that "homo sapien" is misspelled? Dictionary.com doesn't recognize the term but, then again, it often chokes on two-word phrases. It wonders if, in fact, I mean to say "Homo Spain" which, obviously, I don't. (and who, for that matter, would?)
(One last sidenote: Woo-Hoo!! I'm no longer a Junior Member! My parents would have been so proud!!)
Correction noted. Thanks much. Odd though how Dictionary.com doesn't suggest "homo sapiens" when I ask the definition of "homo sapien." "Homo Spain" isn't even close!
And say, jheem, you're pretty sharp. Ever think about rewritting the OED? I could use the help.
quote:Originally posted by jheem: On a more serious note, why would anybody want to rewrite the OED?
It would piss off R.E. Is any other reason necessary?
On a less serious note, what are you planning on calling your Don Quixote (English) or Don Quijote (Spanish) sequel? May I suggest "The Revenge of the Windmills." Or maybe you could delve into the results of the lead character's fondness for marijuana and call it "Man a la Munchies."
quote: On a less serious note, what are you planning on calling your Don Quixote (English) or Don Quijote (Spanish) sequel?
Well, since DQ 2 was good enough for Cervantes Saavedra, that's probably what M. Menard would like to call it, though I'm holding out for Dom Quichote, numéro deux. We're hoping to get Jorge Borges to write the forward. Wish us luck.
On a more serious note, why would anybody want to rewrite the OED? Hmmm, I could think of a good reason, but on second thought I will keep it to myself!
