This is something that has been bothering me for a long time. You guys* have below, before, behind, beside, all very informative words of something being in a relative position to something else. Why is there no behigh, or betop, or whatever? Or is there, and I have just not heard of it?
*I mean you English-speaking people
Why no behigh?
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rhythm_keeper
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:13 pm
Re: Why no behigh?
It's not like current variants of the English language were invented recently. Words are created, lost, and changed over centuries. For example, "afore" apparently used to be used (meaning "before"). Betop = atop. Behigh = above. Maybe an etymologist or linguist can elaborate.
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HappyQuark
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am
Re: Why no behigh?
The prefix 'be-' has a number of uses, one of which you've identified means to come prior to, ancillary to or is subordinate in relation to something. It makes sense to use this word in terms of 'below' or 'before' because these words all mean that something is either underneath in terms of position or prior to something in terms of time. On the other hand, it wouldn't make sense to use this for something that is on top of another thing or ahead of another thing so we use words like 'above', 'ahead', and 'atop', to describe superordinate positions.schwiss wrote:This is something that has been bothering me for a long time. You guys* have below, before, behind, beside, all very informative words of something being in a relative position to something else. Why is there no behigh, or betop, or whatever? Or is there, and I have just not heard of it?
*I mean you English-speaking people
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WhoaNonstop
- Posts: 853
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am
Re: Why no behigh?
Love how this guy joined the forum just to post on this thread.rhythm_keeper wrote:It's not like current variants of the English language were invented recently. Words are created, lost, and changed over centuries. For example, "afore" apparently used to be used (meaning "before"). Betop = atop. Behigh = above. Maybe an etymologist or linguist can elaborate.
I agree with what HappyQuark said.
-Riley
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HappyQuark
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am
Re: Why no behigh?
Why did you join the forum, To make comments relevant to the theme and topic of the forum?WhoaNonstop wrote:Love how this guy joined the forum just to post on this thread.rhythm_keeper wrote:It's not like current variants of the English language were invented recently. Words are created, lost, and changed over centuries. For example, "afore" apparently used to be used (meaning "before"). Betop = atop. Behigh = above. Maybe an etymologist or linguist can elaborate.
I agree with what HappyQuark said.
-Riley
You elitists make me sick!
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WhoaNonstop
- Posts: 853
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am
Re: Why no behigh?
Actually, I joined this forum to ask about going to graduate school for economics.HappyQuark wrote:Why did you join the forum, To make comments relevant to the theme and topic of the forum?
You elitists make me sick!
-Riley
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HappyQuark
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am
Re: Why no behigh?
Oh, well in that case I apologize. I can't think of anything more logical than to join a physics gre forum in order to get advice from anonymous strangers about the transition between two fields of study that are both unrelated to physics and, by all accounts, unrelated to each other.WhoaNonstop wrote:Actually, I joined this forum to ask about going to graduate school for economics.HappyQuark wrote:Why did you join the forum, To make comments relevant to the theme and topic of the forum?
You elitists make me sick!
-Riley
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WhoaNonstop
- Posts: 853
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am
Re: Why no behigh?
Thank you for being understanding.HappyQuark wrote:Oh, well in that case I apologize. I can't think of anything more logical than to join a physics gre forum in order to get advice from anonymous strangers about the transition between two fields of study that are both unrelated to physics and, by all accounts, unrelated to each other.
-Riley
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rhythm_keeper
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:13 pm
Re: Why no behigh?
Wait...this isn't the gradcafe? Whoops.HappyQuark wrote:Why did you join the forum, To make comments relevant to the theme and topic of the forum?WhoaNonstop wrote:Love how this guy joined the forum just to post on this thread.rhythm_keeper wrote:It's not like current variants of the English language were invented recently. Words are created, lost, and changed over centuries. For example, "afore" apparently used to be used (meaning "before"). Betop = atop. Behigh = above. Maybe an etymologist or linguist can elaborate.
I agree with what HappyQuark said.
-Riley
You elitists make me sick!