Ologies and isms - Michael Quinion

Aquaculture? Haemophilia? Isochronous? Neuralgia? Polyunsaturated? Rodenticide?How often do we see a technical word without quite knowing what it means? If we can decipher it - undo its language code - we can start to understand others of a similar kind. For example, if we know that words beginning with aqua are to do with water, then we are half way to understanding the word aquaculture.Ologies and Isms is about the building blocks of the English language - the beginnings and endings, and sometimes the middles - that help form or adapt many of the words we use. Whether you're a student or a practitioner, a teacher of English, an inveterate word-user, or just a seeker-out of linguistic trifles, Ologies and Isms will help you understand better the language of your workplace and the world around you.