PROSELYTIZE

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

PROSELYTIZE

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:23 am

• proselytize •

Pronunciation: prah-sê-lê-taiz • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To convert to your way of thinking, cause, or religion; to make a proselyte or convert.

Notes: Today's Good Word is a verb built from the noun proselyte "convert" by adding the suffix -ize. The action noun from today's verb is created by adding the suffix -m, proselytism. A person who proselytizes is either a proselytizer or simply a proselytist. Did you follow all that? A proselytizer proselytizes proselytes. Of course, outside the US, the spelling is usually proselytise for the verb and proselytiser for the personal noun.

In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned." Of course, proselytes need not be religious converts: "Luke Warrum has been proselytizing for his free downtown

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Greek proselytos "stranger, proselyte (someone who comes to a place)", a word comprising pros "to, toward" + elyth-, a variant of the verb erkhesthai "to come". The origin of erkhesthai is a mystery but we do find pros in a few other words like prosody "the theory of verse and poetry", which comes from pros + ode "song". (Today we are once again grateful to Mark Bailey for sharing his vocabulary with us here and in the Alpha Agora through his suggestions of excellent Good Words like this one.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

Stargzer
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2578
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Re: PROSELYTIZE

Postby Stargzer » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:37 am

...

In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned." Of course, proselytes need not be religious converts: "Luke Warrum has been proselytizing for his free downtown

...
HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?
( ... his free downtown) sauna -- billed as The coolest place in then entire city!
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

skinem
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1197
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:33 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: PROSELYTIZE

Postby skinem » Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:14 pm

In Play: In the US, Mormons are most widely known for door-to-door proselytizing but all missionaries proselytize: "Chuck Roste's church sent him to New Guinea to proselytize the natives there but he never returned."
Of course not. Who doesn't like a good Roste?

User avatar
gailr
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1945
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:40 am
Contact:

Re: PROSELYTIZE

Postby gailr » Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:13 pm

HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?
Thanks - I thought it was just my pc... :roll:

Stargzer
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2578
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Re: PROSELYTIZE

Postby Stargzer » Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:49 am

HEY! WHO KEEPS STEALING THE PUNCHLINES?
Thanks - I thought it was just my pc... :roll:
Nah; probably because we're both PI. :wink:
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot] and 36 guests