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.
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