[LMB] "Spelunking is a made up term, a bastardization of Speleology"

[anmar mirza]

On 3/14/08, Stewart Dean <sdean7855 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Ahem.  Having had 4 years of Latin in high school, which Qualifies me as
> a Master in Pedantry,


I bow to my superior in Latin.  My one semester in High School
whimpers in fear.  Since I have you on the line, we inscribed
"in libris est veritas" on a bookshelf are making for my mother's
birthday.  I intended it to be "in books are truth".  Did we come close?
I tried four different online latin translators and that was the closest
that came to what I was trying to say (and, incidently, what I remembered
from my hs latin...)


> I would point out that the Latin for cave is
> spelunca, thus making spelunking of obvious  and valid derivation.


As you claim this is possible, I bow to that.  However, the general
derivation
of spelunking as it became into use was indeed a bastardization of
speleology.
And regardless, you could find yourself tossed into a deep dark hole (which
of
course, cavers wouldn't consider a punishment :) should you go to the
National
Speleological Society convention and try to tell people that using
"spelunking" is
acceptable! *grin*



>  Of
> course, you may trump me by claiming knowledge of ancient Greek, thereby
> entitling you to Be a Gran Master of Pedantry, and say that
> spe-something is a Greek root.


GM of Pedantry is most certainly *not* something to which I aspire!



> --
> Anmar Mirza EMT, N9ISY, Central Region NCRC Coordinator
> Owner Lost Creek Packs, blog.myspace.com/anmarmirza