Conservationist vs. Conservationalist, and Conversationalist vs. Conversationist

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hello, my name is Jay and I am calling from Barry, Vermont.

Barry, Vermont. Well, welcome, Jay. What can we do for you?

Well, it has struck me that the word conservation and the word conversation are quite similar.

Take either word and reverse the S and the V and you have the other.

Then, if one is passionate about conservation, one is a conservationist.

If one is passionate about conversation, one is a conversationalist.

And why is there an extra syllable, an A-L, an O in conversationalist?

Why isn’t someone a conversationist?

Oh, Jay.

My sweet summer child.

I’m 64.

I’m not a child anymore.

I’m just saying.

You’re asking us to explain the intricacy of English and I’m just.

I just want to hold you and embrace you before I unleash this hell called English upon you.

Because I mean really that’s the only answer.

There’s a little rhyme or reason to it really.

And you’ll go bonkers trying to find a pattern because there isn’t one.

Generally, it’s fine when the base word doesn’t have an AL form because then they won’t have the AList forms.

For example, contortion and extortion, they’re just contortionist and extortionist.

You don’t have contortionalist and extortionist because we don’t say contortional and extortional, right, typically.

Right.

Occasionally, both exist.

For example, you can be a constitutionalist and a constitutionist, although constitutionalist is more common.

As a matter of fact, when both exist, the logger word tends to be more common.

For example, horticulturist and horticulturalist.

Horticulturalist is more common.

Same with agriculturist and agriculturalist.

Agriculturalist is more common.

Of course, then you have hikes led by both naturalist and naturist, each revealing in their own way, and with different meanings.

That’s a different conversation altogether.

But for many such words, there’s just the AL plus the ist form.

So traditionalist rather than traditionist.

We don’t have traditionist in the language.

And nationalist rather than nationist.

We don’t really have nationist in the language.

So really it’s about whether or not that AL form exists on top of that T-I-O-N root.

By the way, conversationalist and conservationalist are anagrams of each other.

Huh, that had not occurred to me.

Yeah, and they are the longest one-word anagrams I can think of, except for internationalism and interlaminations.

Is that muddy enough for you, Ben?

I can’t. My water was clear five minutes ago, but I can’t see an inch.

You need to let it settle, probably with the cold compress on your forehead.

Well, call us again sometime and we’ll shake up your jar.

All right. Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

All right. Take care of yourself. Be well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

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