# Mentee isn't really a word, but we're probably stuck with it

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 2, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080 "2021-02-02T20:27:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/21 "2021-02-03T11:07:51Z")

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Yeah, back formations are fun.

Kudo is the one that I always think of, as it comes from a misunderstanding that the original Greek word kudos was plural (it’s not). Cherry comes from a similar misunderstanding (cherise in French).

Tase comes from taser, which comes from Thomas A Swift’s Electric Rifle.

Wikipedia has a whole list of them. Mentee is on their list.

> **[List of English back-formations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_back-formations)**
>
> Pages for logged out editors learn more
> 
> 			 
> Back-formation is either the process of creating a new lexeme (less precisely, a new "word") by removing actual or supposed affixes, or a neologism formed by such a process. Back-formations are shortened words created from longer words, thus back-formations may be viewed as a sub-type of clipping.
> Each back-formation in this list is followed by the original word from which it was back-formed.

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**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/22 "2021-02-03T13:13:01Z")

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> [@Esprise\_Me](#):
>
> We’re also stuck with “supervisee.” Actually I like that better than “report” anyway.

Should have gone with subvisor.

Also I have just now realised that supervisor is just the fancy Latin version of overseer. Yet another example of Norman oppression of the Anglo-Saxon masses.

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**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/23 "2021-02-03T15:27:00Z")

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> [@yendis](#):
>
> Also I have just now realised that supervisor is just the fancy Latin version of overseer. Yet another example of Norman oppression of the Anglo-Saxon masses.

I once saw “steadholder” used as an Anglo-Saxon equivalent of “lieutenant”.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mentee-isnt-really-a-word-but-were-probably-stuck-with-it/932080/24 "2021-02-05T10:03:02Z")

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> [@yendis](#):
>
> Should have gone with subvisor.  
> Also I have just now realised that supervisor is just the fancy Latin version of overseer.

I like ‘hands’ (Traditional in Australia). You’ve got your leading hands, and your general hands.  
What, you say, about people who do mental work?

Well, I type.

Anyway, we don’t need ancient Greek characters. You could go Roman (Patron, Client), but in your modern business program, you’ve got your Svengali, and the juniors would correspondingly be Trilbies – or Trilobites.

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