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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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"dialog" _____among many or just two
Guest
1
2010/06/07 - 4:54pm
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Some think that dialog is only between two people. But "dia" is a Greek prefix meaning "through" or "among".
Think of "diarrhea" , "dialysis" or "diabetes".

Guest
2
2010/06/08 - 1:38pm
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I prefer not to think of diarrhea, dialysis, or diabetes. How about diacritical, diagnosis, diagonal, diagram, diameter, diaphanous?

Some notable exceptions to the di- = two (diatomic) and the dia- = through, apart (diagnosis) are:

dial
diamond
diary

Ron Draney
721 Posts
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3
2010/06/08 - 8:13pm
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James, would you also prefer if three children splitting up a stash of goodies were said to "trivide" the spoils?

(I confess I have a similar peeve about the misuse of "between". The word has an Anglo-Saxon "two" right in the middle of it, for crying out loud!)

Guest
4
2010/06/26 - 12:42am
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Dial and Diary are exceptions because they come from the Latin word for day and have no Greek DNA in them at all.

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