• jve@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        hydrophobia isn’t fear of water.

        Yes, it is.

        Classically exhibited as a symptom of rabies, which is probably what you’re thinking.

        words do not decompose that way.

        Yes, they do.

        • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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          25 minutes ago

          hydrophobia isn’t fear of water.

          Yes, it is.

          Oh, jesus christ. 98% of the time, “hydrophobia” does not refer to fear of water.

          words do not decompose that way.

          Yes, they do.

          Oh, jesus aitch fucking christ. No, they do not. You cannot divine the meaning of a word you’ve never seen before by breaking it down into sub-word units of meaning. That’s just not how the English language works. You can get some hints, but you cannot definitively know what a word means, and darn you for making me say something that basic and obvious out loud.

          • TheSporkBomber@lemmy.world
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            7 minutes ago

            Words used in medical terminology (Like many areas of science) were made using specific latin roots for a reason you numpty, and the reason why is so the definition is clear and set, and there won’t be some idiot insisting a word means something it doesn’t.

            Take hypoglycemia for example. Hypo: Low Glyc: Sugar -emia: In blood.

            Just try to divine what hypoglycemia could POSSIBLY mean given that information. It’s a bit more than a fucking hint.

            Dermatitis? Derma: Skin -itis: Inflammation. Sweet JESUS what ever could dermatitis mean?!?!?

            Next you’re going to tell me pericarditis, containing the roots Peri (Around) Card (Heart, Cardio) -itis (inflammation) means inflammation around the heart! Insanity!

            So what ever in WORLD could a medical condition named HYDROPHOBIA ever mean?

            • OmegaMan@lemmings.world
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              58 minutes ago

              He’s probably referring to hydrophobicity in chemicals. Where the molecule is repelled by water. It’s often called hydrophobia as well.

              It’s a bad example for a bad argument.