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How was 'fissiparus' mistakenly analogized with 'vīviparus'?

What is the Latin etymon of 'que' in the French « ne … que »?The meaning of common ground in appear/prepareWhy was 'imperō' prefixed with 'in-' and not 'ad-'?Why was rēfringō prefixed with « re- »?How did '-met' + 'ipse' + '-issimus' compound to mean <the same> (in *metipsimus)?How did 'ex-' + 'serere' compound to signify 'thrust out, put forth'?What is the etymology of the word “anterior”?how to interpret ‘formosus’ via its morphological componentsDid 'liquidus' or 'liquo' mean 'abolish' and 'destroy, kill'?'exert' : How can you 'attach or join out' something?

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2

Is the Wiktionary entry on fissiparous below correct? Why's the analogy "mistaken"? The compounding makes sense to me?

Etymology

An adaptation of the New Latin fissiparus, from fissus (“split”, “cleft”) + pariō (“I bring forth”) by mistaken analogy with vīviparus.

etymologia word-comparison

share|improve this question

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

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asked Jul 7 at 8:20

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add a comment | 

2

Is the Wiktionary entry on fissiparous below correct? Why's the analogy "mistaken"? The compounding makes sense to me?

Etymology

An adaptation of the New Latin fissiparus, from fissus (“split”, “cleft”) + pariō (“I bring forth”) by mistaken analogy with vīviparus.

etymologia word-comparison

share|improve this question

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

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asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

1,73655 silver badges1919 bronze badges

add a comment | 

Is the Wiktionary entry on fissiparous below correct? Why's the analogy "mistaken"? The compounding makes sense to me?

Etymology

An adaptation of the New Latin fissiparus, from fissus (“split”, “cleft”) + pariō (“I bring forth”) by mistaken analogy with vīviparus.

etymologia word-comparison

share|improve this question

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

1,73655 silver badges1919 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

1,73655 silver badges1919 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

1,73655 silver badges1919 bronze badges

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

edited Jul 7 at 15:47

Joonas Ilmavirta♦

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

1,73655 silver badges1919 bronze badges

asked Jul 7 at 8:20

Greek - Area 51 ProposalGreek - Area 51 Proposal

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1 Answer
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2

Viviparus comes from vivus ("alive") and parere ("to give birth"), and it makes sense that it means something that gives birth to living offspring.

As Wiktionary tells, fissus means "split".
Therefore fissiparus should refer to something that gives birth to split offspring.
The word fissiparus or the English variant appears to mean something that has a tendency to split.
The component fissi- makes sense, but -parus does not.
No giving birth is involved.

Perhaps the -parus of viviparus was analyzed as "related", and then "related to being alive" was converted to "related to splitting".
But this analogy is indeed mistaken, as -parus has a much more specific meaning than just "related".

An obvious follow-up question presents itself:
What would then be a good Latin word with a meaning suitable for what fissiparus is used for?
I suggest taking that to a separate question if you are interested.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  There is some analogy here with “iatrogenic disease”, which literally means “disease that gives rise to doctors”. It seems that scientific English is equally happy when the noun (or adjective) in the compound is the subject or the object of the verb.
  
  – Martin Kochanski
  Jul 7 at 17:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I would tend to thing that the mistake in the analogy lies not so much in the choice of -parous, since fissiparous does in fact have to do with birth/reproduction ('producing new individuals by fission,' according to my dictionary); rather, it lies in the fact that in the word viviparous, the first root has a direct object relationship with the second, whereas in fissiparous, it stands in the relationship of instrument/means. As you note, though, to be a proper analogy with viviparous, fissiparous should mean 'producing split offspring.'
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Which is not to say that fissiparous is, per se, an improper word formation. Having the first root in a compound express the instrument/means of the second, verbal root, is perfectly valid and common. It's just that, as a word that's supposed to have been formed by analogy with viviparous, it doesn't quite work.
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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2

Viviparus comes from vivus ("alive") and parere ("to give birth"), and it makes sense that it means something that gives birth to living offspring.

As Wiktionary tells, fissus means "split".
Therefore fissiparus should refer to something that gives birth to split offspring.
The word fissiparus or the English variant appears to mean something that has a tendency to split.
The component fissi- makes sense, but -parus does not.
No giving birth is involved.

Perhaps the -parus of viviparus was analyzed as "related", and then "related to being alive" was converted to "related to splitting".
But this analogy is indeed mistaken, as -parus has a much more specific meaning than just "related".

An obvious follow-up question presents itself:
What would then be a good Latin word with a meaning suitable for what fissiparus is used for?
I suggest taking that to a separate question if you are interested.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  There is some analogy here with “iatrogenic disease”, which literally means “disease that gives rise to doctors”. It seems that scientific English is equally happy when the noun (or adjective) in the compound is the subject or the object of the verb.
  
  – Martin Kochanski
  Jul 7 at 17:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I would tend to thing that the mistake in the analogy lies not so much in the choice of -parous, since fissiparous does in fact have to do with birth/reproduction ('producing new individuals by fission,' according to my dictionary); rather, it lies in the fact that in the word viviparous, the first root has a direct object relationship with the second, whereas in fissiparous, it stands in the relationship of instrument/means. As you note, though, to be a proper analogy with viviparous, fissiparous should mean 'producing split offspring.'
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Which is not to say that fissiparous is, per se, an improper word formation. Having the first root in a compound express the instrument/means of the second, verbal root, is perfectly valid and common. It's just that, as a word that's supposed to have been formed by analogy with viviparous, it doesn't quite work.
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Viviparus comes from vivus ("alive") and parere ("to give birth"), and it makes sense that it means something that gives birth to living offspring.

As Wiktionary tells, fissus means "split".
Therefore fissiparus should refer to something that gives birth to split offspring.
The word fissiparus or the English variant appears to mean something that has a tendency to split.
The component fissi- makes sense, but -parus does not.
No giving birth is involved.

Perhaps the -parus of viviparus was analyzed as "related", and then "related to being alive" was converted to "related to splitting".
But this analogy is indeed mistaken, as -parus has a much more specific meaning than just "related".

An obvious follow-up question presents itself:
What would then be a good Latin word with a meaning suitable for what fissiparus is used for?
I suggest taking that to a separate question if you are interested.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  There is some analogy here with “iatrogenic disease”, which literally means “disease that gives rise to doctors”. It seems that scientific English is equally happy when the noun (or adjective) in the compound is the subject or the object of the verb.
  
  – Martin Kochanski
  Jul 7 at 17:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I would tend to thing that the mistake in the analogy lies not so much in the choice of -parous, since fissiparous does in fact have to do with birth/reproduction ('producing new individuals by fission,' according to my dictionary); rather, it lies in the fact that in the word viviparous, the first root has a direct object relationship with the second, whereas in fissiparous, it stands in the relationship of instrument/means. As you note, though, to be a proper analogy with viviparous, fissiparous should mean 'producing split offspring.'
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:38
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Which is not to say that fissiparous is, per se, an improper word formation. Having the first root in a compound express the instrument/means of the second, verbal root, is perfectly valid and common. It's just that, as a word that's supposed to have been formed by analogy with viviparous, it doesn't quite work.
  
  – cnread
  Jul 8 at 20:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Viviparus comes from vivus ("alive") and parere ("to give birth"), and it makes sense that it means something that gives birth to living offspring.

As Wiktionary tells, fissus means "split".
Therefore fissiparus should refer to something that gives birth to split offspring.
The word fissiparus or the English variant appears to mean something that has a tendency to split.
The component fissi- makes sense, but -parus does not.
No giving birth is involved.

Perhaps the -parus of viviparus was analyzed as "related", and then "related to being alive" was converted to "related to splitting".
But this analogy is indeed mistaken, as -parus has a much more specific meaning than just "related".

An obvious follow-up question presents itself:
What would then be a good Latin word with a meaning suitable for what fissiparus is used for?
I suggest taking that to a separate question if you are interested.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges

answered Jul 7 at 15:57

Joonas Ilmavirta♦Joonas Ilmavirta

50.9k1212 gold badges7373 silver badges305305 bronze badges