Re: "Black Sheep" (Re: "Red Without Blue")

Robert S. Coren wrote:
In article <va4u735s7o7ltir0c3ksckf14q035bt1jp@xxxxxxx>,
Chris Hansen <chrishansenhome@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 24 Jun 2007 13:30:00 -0400, coren@xxxxxxxxx (Robert S. Coren) wrote:

In article <137t7rb5l0l6kc3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Frank R.A.J. Maloney <frajm@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Robert S. Coren wrote:
In article <467e5fab.3185525@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Menacing Dennis <dsl@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ironically, the hero of
the film exhibited a fear of sheep that stemmed from a childhood
incident. (What would a psychologist term that, a sheepaphobe?)
Not likely. Anybody remember the Greek (original or otherwise) for
"sheep"?
Probaton is the one I know from Attic Greek.
So, "probatophobia", maybe?

(Never mind that to most people it would suggest "fear of probation",
or perhaps "fear of probate".)
"Ovinophobia" seems to be the accepted term.

I thought of something along those lines, but thought that the medical
profession would avoid mixing Latin and Greek, although why I should
assume that I have no idea.

Words that combine elements of Greek and Latin, homosexuality being one example, are sometimes called macaroni words, I've been led to believe. I'm quite fond of mac and cheese, at least as I make it.

Another poster mentioned the Greek word ois for sheep. I think I'm safe in assuming that ois and ovis, the Latin for sheep, are cognates, so ovinophobia may not be quite so macaronic as that other example.

Way back in 1960, in our first-year Latin class, Miss McQuiston, a scholarly and very proper older person, was talking about the Latin word homo, man or mankind. She asked us for related English words and one bright young woman volunteered loudly and enthusiastically, "Oh, like homosexual." An embarrassed silence enveloped the room; such words were never spoken aloud or in the presence of children or ladies. Poor Miss McQuiston was so shaken that she was unable to correct the student's mistaken etymology. We instead resumed our Cicero. One could always rely on Cicero.

--
Frank in Seattle
____

Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
"Millennium hand and shrimp."
.

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