Various people wrote:
>> There seems to be an inconsistency in applying the prefix. Mono and bi
>> seem to go together and uni and tri go together. Since this is not the
>> way they are used, our memory will be called upon one more time.
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>> Don't forget that these combining forms should agree with the words they
>> are combined with: Greek to Greek, Latin to Latin.
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>> OHMAGOD!! <giggling> I've created a MONSTER!!! <cracking up> I'll get
>> you for this, Mr. Bonander!
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>> An analogous problem alluded to, but not mentioned in your message
>> results from not differentiating correctly "affect" from "effect".
>> "affect" is:.. "to act upon (as a person, or his/her mind or his/her
>> feelings so as to effect a response". You might affect me powerfully,
>> but effect me?. Well, maybe you could. Never underestimate the power
>> of a spell-checker.
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>> I'M the individual who massacres the language, and my friend,
>> the estimable Mr. Bonander is the person who, unlike all the king's
>> horses and all the king's men in Humpty Dumpty, puts it back together
>> again! <smile>
I have two main points to add:
1. Both *affect* and *effect* can be both nouns and verbs:
a. I have an effect on your mood. (n)
b. I affect your mood. (v)
c. I can effect (cause) your compliance. (v)
d. Your affect (emotional state) is flat (nothing personal!). (n)
2. One of my favorite fictional conversations, which takes place between
Humpty Dumpty and Alice:
"When *I* use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone,
"it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you *can* make words mean so
many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's
all."
-- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
peace.
[log in to unmask]
(who was mastered by language long ago...)
