# English vocabulary (From a Brit) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389 "2013-01-07T20:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HairyCactus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2bfe46/32.png) [@HairyCactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HairyCactus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/1 "2013-01-07T20:10:19Z")
Is there a term for using the same base word in different ways and still make sense? I give the following examples: Consistently consistent consistency Efficiently efficient efficiency Please feel free to chip in with your own examples. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/2 "2013-01-07T20:18:43Z")
Redundantly redundant redundancies. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/3 "2013-01-07T20:21:22Z")
> [@HairyCactus](#): > > Consistently consistent consistency I think you may be referring to:[ul][li]He was consistently late to the office.[/li][li]Falling is consistent with the law of gravity.[/li][li]Honey has a thicker consistency than milk.[/ul]My answer is that they are not really the same word. They started out with the same root, which in this case probably meant “sameness” or something like that. And then they went off in separate directions.[/li] I think the great majority of words are in this category. Example: “majority”: older, bigger, or higher-ranking. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/4 "2013-01-07T20:24:24Z")
Missed the edit window: To be more specific: Winning a redundancy contest against Redundant Redundantsen, Second Lord of Redundantshire. Blackadderization? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/5 "2013-01-07T20:25:53Z")
[Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo). Beat that one! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/6 "2013-01-07T20:38:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > [Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo). > > Beat that one! That sentence uses just 3 meanings (and one spelling). So…Milkers milk milky milks ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/7 "2013-01-07T20:50:17Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I think you may be referring to: > [ul] > [li]He was consistently late to the office.[/li][li]Falling is consistent with the law of gravity.[/li][li]Honey has a thicker consistency than milk.[/li][/ul]My answer is that they are not really the same word. They started out with the same root, which in this case probably meant “sameness” or something like that. And then they went off in separate directions. > > I think the great majority of words are in this category. Example: “majority”: older, bigger, or higher-ranking. The OP, I believe, is asking ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/8 "2013-01-07T20:55:27Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The OP, I believe, is asking sorry… is asking for a rhetorical term, and not referring to different parts of speech in and of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/9 "2013-01-08T00:27:28Z")
Not quite the same as being asked in the OP but if we were to hire a sign writer to write a sign for our new bar the Hand And Land and wanted to be critical of his work we might say: “There’s too much space between the Hand and And and And and Land.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/10 "2013-01-08T00:29:24Z")
[Zeugma?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301613) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/11 "2013-01-08T00:36:07Z")
[Figura etymologica](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figura_etymologica)? ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/12 "2013-01-08T00:57:52Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Not quite the same as being asked in the OP but if we were to hire a sign writer to write a sign for our new bar the Hand And Land and wanted to be critical of his work we might say: > > “There’s too much space between the Hand and And and And and Land.” And if John were pretty stupid, then Tom, whereas John had had “had”, had had “had had”, “had had” had had the examiners approval. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/13 "2013-01-08T13:00:10Z")
Pseudozeugma. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/14 "2013-01-08T14:48:35Z")
> [@HairyCactus](#): > > Is there a term for using the same base word in different ways and still make sense? Nouns, adjectives and adverbs? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/15 "2013-01-08T14:53:35Z")
[quote=“Keeve, post:3, topic:646389”] I think you may be referring to:[ul][li]He was consistently late to the office.[/li][li]Falling is consistent with the law of gravity.[/li][li]Honey has a thicker consistency than milk.[/ul]My answer is that they are not really the same word. They started out with the same root, which in this case probably meant “sameness” or something like that. And then they went off in separate directions.[/li][/QUOTE] Consist[ency] derives ultimately from the Latin _[consistere](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=consist&allowed_in_frame=0)_, “to stop” or “to remain still”. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/16 "2013-01-08T15:20:41Z")
I don’t understand what’s so special about this. You could do this for almost any word I think. Happily happy happiness. Lousily lousy lousiness. Fatteningly fatty fat. In fact, it’d be more surprising and interesting to find words you couldn’t do this with. ---
**Author:** ![HairyCactus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2bfe46/32.png) [@HairyCactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HairyCactus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/17 "2013-01-08T19:20:07Z")
OP checking in here. I thought there would be a term to which I was hitherto unaware of, but it appears there isn’t. I’ve looked at zeugma, figura etymologica and the others suggested. I guess it’s just quirk of the English language. Thanks for your help guys/gals!! ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/18 "2013-01-08T20:42:34Z")
Are you asking for the term for changing what’s added to a root of a word (usually the suffix) to change its part of speech? Sort of like conjugating a verb, but not limited to a certain type of word? If you do, then I don’t know but I’m sure there’s a word for it and someone here knows. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/19 "2013-01-08T23:26:20Z")
Affixation is when you make a new word by adding a prefix or suffix to an existing one - like adding _-ly_ to consistent to create the adjverb form. Conversion is when one part of speech is modified for use as another (such as the verb “fuck” becoming the noun/expletive “fuck”). ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-vocabulary-from-a-brit/646389/20 "2013-01-10T07:55:26Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > Nouns, adjectives and adverbs? > [@drewtwo99](#): > > I don’t understand what’s so special about this. You could do this for almost any word I think. > > Happily happy happiness. > Lousily lousy lousiness. > Fatteningly fatty fat. > > In fact, it’d be more surprising and interesting to find words you couldn’t do this with. > [@snailboy](#): > > Are you asking for the term for changing what’s added to a root of a word (usually the suffix) to change its part of speech? Sort of like conjugating a verb, but not limited to a certain type of word? If you do, then I don’t know but I’m sure there’s a word for it and someone here knows. No, the OP isn’t asking about how to refer to the _mechanics_ of such language. I repeat: He wants to know if there is a term for such use of language from a rhetorical point of view. Something like the terms _alliteration_, _onomatopoeia_, _parachesis_, etc.