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Michael Hey thanks nice things for this old fogey to browze browse-yummy -----Original Message----- From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Peverett Sent: 07 February 2006 11:54 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: etymological query for -aster/-astro etc see http://www.languagehat.com/archives/000869.php (a great site, btw) -astro is often pejorative (meaning sham) medicastro = a quack politicastro = a so-called politician but it can neutrally express near but incomplete resemblance, as in step- relation. - it turns up quite often in botanical names, eg. "pinaster" - like a pine "siliquastrum" - like a pod Michael http://michaelpeverett.blogspot.com In Spanish -astro is often pejorative but not necessarily (as in the step- child case). More or less as in Italian (according to Google): In italian astro means a sham form of something else: medico + astro = medicastro = quack doctor poeta + astro = poetastro = poetaster in spanish I've seen "politicastro" meaning - dismissively - , a useless, feeble would-be politician.