Why is it gerontology and not geronology?












15















I hope this is the right place to ask this, if not please give a feedback.



According to the Wikipedia, the term gerontology is made up from two parts, geron and -logia, which mean respectively "old man" and "study of" in Greek.



I was looking for a hint, why the term has an extra -t. It seems to me that it has some indirect associations with ontology and I thought that might be the reason but couldn't find something concrete.



Thank you in advance.










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  • I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

    – tchrist
    Jan 3 at 3:12
















15















I hope this is the right place to ask this, if not please give a feedback.



According to the Wikipedia, the term gerontology is made up from two parts, geron and -logia, which mean respectively "old man" and "study of" in Greek.



I was looking for a hint, why the term has an extra -t. It seems to me that it has some indirect associations with ontology and I thought that might be the reason but couldn't find something concrete.



Thank you in advance.










share|improve this question

























  • I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

    – tchrist
    Jan 3 at 3:12














15












15








15








I hope this is the right place to ask this, if not please give a feedback.



According to the Wikipedia, the term gerontology is made up from two parts, geron and -logia, which mean respectively "old man" and "study of" in Greek.



I was looking for a hint, why the term has an extra -t. It seems to me that it has some indirect associations with ontology and I thought that might be the reason but couldn't find something concrete.



Thank you in advance.










share|improve this question
















I hope this is the right place to ask this, if not please give a feedback.



According to the Wikipedia, the term gerontology is made up from two parts, geron and -logia, which mean respectively "old man" and "study of" in Greek.



I was looking for a hint, why the term has an extra -t. It seems to me that it has some indirect associations with ontology and I thought that might be the reason but couldn't find something concrete.



Thank you in advance.







etymology compounds






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edited Jan 2 at 19:29









Laurel

31.8k660113




31.8k660113










asked Jan 2 at 19:13









Konformist LiberalKonformist Liberal

1808




1808













  • I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

    – tchrist
    Jan 3 at 3:12



















  • I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

    – tchrist
    Jan 3 at 3:12

















I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

– tchrist
Jan 3 at 3:12





I confess to liking the longer answer better here.

– tchrist
Jan 3 at 3:12










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

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21














Great question! Save for the oral echo, there's no necessary relationship between gerontology and ontology. The t comes from the genitive case.



Here is the Ancient Greek Wiktionary entry for γέρων (geron). Note that, unlike English, Greek has several noun cases, including the genitive γέροντος (gerontos), the dative γέροντῐ (geronti), and the accusative γέροντα (geronta).



Now, think about the meaning of gerontology you suggested. It is the study of old men. In another language, old men might be in the genitive or dative, indicating some relation to the head noun. The root being adapted into English may come from this form. So in that case we would have geront- plus logos, which after adjusting each to fit English paradigms for Greek roots (logos to -logy with -o- as a combining vowel, gerontos or geronti to geront-) results in gerontology.



Odontology behaves in a similar way, with the root being ὀδούς (odous) but changing in the genitive form to ὀδόντος (odontos). (See also orthodontics and other toothy variants.)



More generally, these are examples of classical compounds.






share|improve this answer





















  • 1





    Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

    – ypercubeᵀᴹ
    Jan 3 at 10:03





















9














The root is the genitive “gerontos”:



Gerontology




1903, coined in English from geronto-, used as combining form of Greek geron (genitive gerontos) "old man."




Etymonline






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    2 Answers
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    2 Answers
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    21














    Great question! Save for the oral echo, there's no necessary relationship between gerontology and ontology. The t comes from the genitive case.



    Here is the Ancient Greek Wiktionary entry for γέρων (geron). Note that, unlike English, Greek has several noun cases, including the genitive γέροντος (gerontos), the dative γέροντῐ (geronti), and the accusative γέροντα (geronta).



    Now, think about the meaning of gerontology you suggested. It is the study of old men. In another language, old men might be in the genitive or dative, indicating some relation to the head noun. The root being adapted into English may come from this form. So in that case we would have geront- plus logos, which after adjusting each to fit English paradigms for Greek roots (logos to -logy with -o- as a combining vowel, gerontos or geronti to geront-) results in gerontology.



    Odontology behaves in a similar way, with the root being ὀδούς (odous) but changing in the genitive form to ὀδόντος (odontos). (See also orthodontics and other toothy variants.)



    More generally, these are examples of classical compounds.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 1





      Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

      – ypercubeᵀᴹ
      Jan 3 at 10:03


















    21














    Great question! Save for the oral echo, there's no necessary relationship between gerontology and ontology. The t comes from the genitive case.



    Here is the Ancient Greek Wiktionary entry for γέρων (geron). Note that, unlike English, Greek has several noun cases, including the genitive γέροντος (gerontos), the dative γέροντῐ (geronti), and the accusative γέροντα (geronta).



    Now, think about the meaning of gerontology you suggested. It is the study of old men. In another language, old men might be in the genitive or dative, indicating some relation to the head noun. The root being adapted into English may come from this form. So in that case we would have geront- plus logos, which after adjusting each to fit English paradigms for Greek roots (logos to -logy with -o- as a combining vowel, gerontos or geronti to geront-) results in gerontology.



    Odontology behaves in a similar way, with the root being ὀδούς (odous) but changing in the genitive form to ὀδόντος (odontos). (See also orthodontics and other toothy variants.)



    More generally, these are examples of classical compounds.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 1





      Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

      – ypercubeᵀᴹ
      Jan 3 at 10:03
















    21












    21








    21







    Great question! Save for the oral echo, there's no necessary relationship between gerontology and ontology. The t comes from the genitive case.



    Here is the Ancient Greek Wiktionary entry for γέρων (geron). Note that, unlike English, Greek has several noun cases, including the genitive γέροντος (gerontos), the dative γέροντῐ (geronti), and the accusative γέροντα (geronta).



    Now, think about the meaning of gerontology you suggested. It is the study of old men. In another language, old men might be in the genitive or dative, indicating some relation to the head noun. The root being adapted into English may come from this form. So in that case we would have geront- plus logos, which after adjusting each to fit English paradigms for Greek roots (logos to -logy with -o- as a combining vowel, gerontos or geronti to geront-) results in gerontology.



    Odontology behaves in a similar way, with the root being ὀδούς (odous) but changing in the genitive form to ὀδόντος (odontos). (See also orthodontics and other toothy variants.)



    More generally, these are examples of classical compounds.






    share|improve this answer















    Great question! Save for the oral echo, there's no necessary relationship between gerontology and ontology. The t comes from the genitive case.



    Here is the Ancient Greek Wiktionary entry for γέρων (geron). Note that, unlike English, Greek has several noun cases, including the genitive γέροντος (gerontos), the dative γέροντῐ (geronti), and the accusative γέροντα (geronta).



    Now, think about the meaning of gerontology you suggested. It is the study of old men. In another language, old men might be in the genitive or dative, indicating some relation to the head noun. The root being adapted into English may come from this form. So in that case we would have geront- plus logos, which after adjusting each to fit English paradigms for Greek roots (logos to -logy with -o- as a combining vowel, gerontos or geronti to geront-) results in gerontology.



    Odontology behaves in a similar way, with the root being ὀδούς (odous) but changing in the genitive form to ὀδόντος (odontos). (See also orthodontics and other toothy variants.)



    More generally, these are examples of classical compounds.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Jan 2 at 20:48









    Janus Bahs Jacquet

    29.3k569126




    29.3k569126










    answered Jan 2 at 19:59









    TaliesinMerlinTaliesinMerlin

    2,001216




    2,001216








    • 1





      Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

      – ypercubeᵀᴹ
      Jan 3 at 10:03
















    • 1





      Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

      – ypercubeᵀᴹ
      Jan 3 at 10:03










    1




    1





    Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

    – ypercubeᵀᴹ
    Jan 3 at 10:03







    Another one: ontology and other compounds (paleontology, etc.). Sidenote: gerontology and odontology are not compounds of ontology!

    – ypercubeᵀᴹ
    Jan 3 at 10:03















    9














    The root is the genitive “gerontos”:



    Gerontology




    1903, coined in English from geronto-, used as combining form of Greek geron (genitive gerontos) "old man."




    Etymonline






    share|improve this answer




























      9














      The root is the genitive “gerontos”:



      Gerontology




      1903, coined in English from geronto-, used as combining form of Greek geron (genitive gerontos) "old man."




      Etymonline






      share|improve this answer


























        9












        9








        9







        The root is the genitive “gerontos”:



        Gerontology




        1903, coined in English from geronto-, used as combining form of Greek geron (genitive gerontos) "old man."




        Etymonline






        share|improve this answer













        The root is the genitive “gerontos”:



        Gerontology




        1903, coined in English from geronto-, used as combining form of Greek geron (genitive gerontos) "old man."




        Etymonline







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Jan 2 at 19:41









        user240918user240918

        25.8k1070151




        25.8k1070151






























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