The Greek word demos is a tricky one. English dictionaries tend to define it as the people of a place or state but in some contexts in can also mean the state. It also means the common people or sometimes the mob. Democracy is the most common English word from this root – meaning either rule by the people or mob rule, depending on which commentator you follow. The pejorative meaning is definitely preserved in the word demagogue.
Words like epidemic, pandemic and endemic would start out as adjectival, so the former would mean around or through the people/state and be equivalent to common, widespread with pandemic adding the idea of all, thus in every state, everywhere. The shift to using them as nouns has the idea of disease understood but the words could still be used without this negativity, e.g. There was an epidemic of Nike trainers at the Olympics. The adjective endemic, meaning common, fixed, at home in a place does not have the same negative suggestion of disease though can used in this way; compare Hedgehogs are endemic to UK, with Lying and corruption are endemic among politicians.
Sorry for this pedantry, folks, but I've not been able to teach for days and sometimes the urge to be clevering off in front of those less/differently educated can be overpowering.
Quick links: NewsBiscuit Home • Chat Room • Writers' Room • Top Ten
EPIDEMIC, PANDEMIC, ENDEMIC
(18 posts) (4 voices)
-
Posted 3 weeks ago #
-
Sorry for this pedantry, folks
Please do not apologise. I am grateful to learn what a 'demic' is, a question I raised in this thread:
http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=152156
So: have I got this right? The 'demic' bit of 'epidemic' comes from 'demos', meaning people. And whereas 'epidemic' refers to something which affects a lot of people, 'pandemic' describes something which affects everyone.
Posted 3 weeks ago # -
'pandemic' describes something which affects everyone.
More like a lot of people everywhere.
A dictionary of epidemiology, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.
A pandemic is defined as “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people
Posted 3 weeks ago # -
Tsk. This thread has degenerated into a FactBiscuit. No satire, no pollyticks, no insults. Just rational dialogue and the courteous exchange of interesting, useful and presumably accurate information.
Not only are we would-be satirists currently having to cope with the end (pretty much) of the presidency of Donaloser Trump and of those seemingly endless Brexit negotiations, but also with the arrival of life-saving CV vaccinations and now, of all things, a horrendous outbreak of sensible, amicable dialogue in NewsBiscuit.
This is an outrage and a direct violation of every Biscuit edict, to which I may have to direct the disciplinary attention of Our Masters.
[Awaits the inevitable, obvious and predictable traditional NewsBiscuit response.]
Posted 3 weeks ago # -
Well, considering that we've all been locked down indefinitely, the Brexit shambles has just been confirmed with a poor deal, and several other factors, I'm not particularly in the mood to entertain you
And assume the traditional response, it's as funny as I can manage
Posted 3 weeks ago # -
the end...of those seemingly endless Brexit negotiations
Means the beginning of Brexit:
https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2020/12/31/sinkhole-opens-up-on-manston-lorry-park-area/
Sabotage at the Farage Garage?
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
To return to your endemic point Sinnick, I think it's interesting how slippery the meaning of words can be, depending on context. E.g. clever is normally considered a positive word but in Yorkshire, if you call someone a clever bastard, this is far from complimentary being connected with the phrasal verb clevering off. From your comments about wrens, do I detect some twitchers knowledge? Wondered if you had ever come across the (mercifully) rare species tit-us turdus, believed to be endemic to Hereford?
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
To me, "clever" does not necessarily co-exist with "intelligent". A car salesman could be very clever (cunning, experienced, wily), but I doubt he's intelligent (though could be)
And yes, I have been known to "twitch". Not for nearly a year, though, apart from a couple of things locally & within the rules. There are many much more obsessive than I am. It's a very frustrating time for us - last year I saw some 30% fewer species than usual, just so I can keep old folk like Titus alive
Oh, hang on ..
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
Fewer outings. I'd love to visit coastal Wales, the Cairngorms, The Brecks, Devon
Some species are declining - mostly man-made reasons (farmland birds, monoculture habitats), some natural trends
Some are actually increasing - various herons in particular, but also nuisance species such as feral doves & parakeets
Interesting fact: the first Collared Dove arrived in the UK in ~1954. It was originally a Turkish species that suddenly extended its range NW across Europe, entirely naturally
Posted 2 weeks ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.