Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Prophyla_ic Login/Join
 
<wordnerd>
posted
jheem said elsewhere, "It all depends on your definition of a dictionary. For some it is a prophylaxic against bad grammar ..."

I was aware of the words prophylactic and prophylaxis, but not prophylaxic. But never doubt jheem! And indeed, although the last is not in one-look, it's found in use.

Is there any difference in usage between prophylactic and prophylaxic?
 
Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted Hide Post
Yes, as you saw in the link, wordnerd, "prophylaxic" is used medically, though "prophylactic" is also used medically.

I don't think there is a difference between the words, but I could be wrong.

Of course, we all know the noun use of a "prophylactic." Eek
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of aput
posted Hide Post
-xic is a re-formation in English: the Greek endings were always -tic- but -sis/xis, with assibilation having taken place in the Attic-Ionic dialect.
 
Posts: 502 | Location: LondonReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of jheem
posted Hide Post
Learn to doubt, expecially if I'm jet-lagged with the flu. I started to write prophylaxis and then changed words midstream ending up with what I ended up with. I should've written French letter.
 
Posts: 1218 | Location: CaliforniaReply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright © 2002-12