# Ortho, Meta, Para. What should come next? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659 "2012-03-13T16:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/1 "2012-03-13T16:15:31Z")
I always felt this sequence should extend further. But I’ve been stuck as to what prefix should be employed for the next spot. Ortho of course means _true_ or _correct_. Orthodox: correct opinion. Meta means _following_ or _after_. Metamorphosis: following form. Para has a variety of translations, including _similar, resembling, beyond, apart from_. Paranoia: Beyond the mind. So we need some more prefixes. Any suggestions? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/2 "2012-03-13T16:52:04Z")
Pseudo? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/3 "2012-03-13T16:54:08Z")
[pata](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Pataphysics)? ---
**Author:** ![simsimian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@simsimian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simsimian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/4 "2012-03-13T16:54:27Z")
I think forcing regularity on prefixes in this range would be a lot of fun. orthonoia would be correct or traditional thinking? metadoxy would refer to what you believe about what you believe? \ ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/5 "2012-03-13T16:58:29Z")
Quasi? ---
**Author:** ![simsimian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@simsimian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simsimian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/6 "2012-03-13T17:02:30Z")
pseudonym, metanym, orthonym, paranym lets see, fake/false name, following name (after name?), true/correct name, something like a name. \ ---
**Author:** ![simsimian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@simsimian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simsimian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/7 "2012-03-13T17:08:25Z")
quasinym - something kinda like a name, but not really? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/8 "2012-03-13T17:13:39Z")
I always understood ‘orthodox’ to mean conventional or generally accepted, not necessarily ‘correct’. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/9 "2012-03-13T17:14:42Z")
Oh yeah. My nomination: 'queer" ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/10 "2012-03-13T17:27:52Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > [pata](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Pataphysics)? Mmmmm, pastry dough! ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/11 "2012-03-13T19:26:13Z")
[Ipso-, Meso-, and Peri-](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arene_substitution_patterns) I would think. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/12 "2012-03-13T19:49:20Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > [Ipso-, Meso-, and Peri-](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arene_substitution_patterns) I would think. I’m liking these! Cine- and Tele- are good too! Ipsophysics! Mesodoxy! Periolympics! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/13 "2012-03-13T19:54:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’m liking these! Cine- and Tele- are good too! > > Ipsophysics! Mesodoxy! Periolympics! Oddly, though, Tele seems to be wider than Cine in this world. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/14 "2012-03-13T20:07:30Z")
Cinedoxy = the accepted truth according to movie plots. eg, a cops partner dying three days from his retirement is cinedoxy. Lasers making sounds (in space) is an example of _Cinephysics_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/15 "2012-03-13T20:15:24Z")
Isn’t it obvious? After _Para_ comes Meta again: > Edited to add: Didn’t see that _Lighhtray_ had the same link. But didn’t draw the correct conclusion, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/16 "2012-03-13T21:34:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Edited to add: > Didn’t see that _Lighhtray_ had the same link. But didn’t draw the correct conclusion, IMHO. Well, it’s not like I can tell if a benzene ring is dexter-para-substituted or sinister-para-substituted; they’re the same position! If you’re moving to a different position, you need to talk meso- or peri- or something. bah. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/17 "2012-03-13T23:42:42Z")
Hyper has to be in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/18 "2012-03-14T01:55:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Hyper has to be in there somewhere. Hypernym: e.g. “The Most Magnificent Ranoldo!” Hyperdoxy: Speaking in tongues and ecstatic seizures. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/19 "2012-03-14T09:38:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Isn’t it obvious? > After _Para_ comes Meta again: > > [Arene substitution pattern - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arene_substitution_patterns) > Edited to add: > Didn’t see that _Lighhtray_ had the same link. But didn’t draw the correct conclusion, IMHO. Ah, but what about when you’ve got a C10 aromatic ring, eh? Or a C14? We need more prefixes for our high aromatics! ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659/20 "2012-03-14T09:54:50Z")
Omni- is good, too Si [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ortho-meta-para-what-should-come-next/615659.md?page=2)