Re: Looking
for a word
Posted by TheFallen on March 27,
2003 In Reply to: Re: Looking for a word
posted by TheFallen on March 27, 2003
: : : The concept of 'gaining
pleasure from the misfortune of others' is covered by a single word in German
- 'Schadenfreude'. There's a request in today's Times to come up with an English
single-word equivalent. I thought the wordsmiths among you out there would like
to take up the challenge! How about it?
: : "Sadism" and "dispathy" don't quite
cut it, I suppose.
: How about Acerbovitism, from the L*tin acerbus, meaning
sour, and vitis meaning a grapevine?
Of course, if someone's Gr**k is better
than mine (which would hardly be difficult), something similar to the above could
probably be done with a -philia construct.
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