I am looking for a name for an idea that I have for a website. It is a niche hobby, but there is a greek word for it that most people don’t know. Lets say its a book club and the word was Bibliophile or a music club called Melophile.
Would you, if you did not know the meaning, think of it as something sexual, or maybe even something bad? I am nervous that users might relate it to pedophile even though that is just one of, (but maybe best known) philias there are
“Audiophile” has never before brought to mind the concept of “pedophile”.
In fact, note the way we shorten the word: “pedo”.
I wouldn’t worry about it. But I’m autistic, so the way my brain processes these words might be different than an NT’s brain.
Mostly I think it’s only going to be a problem for people who are looking for trouble, and you can’t really avoid problems with those people.
When I hear “audiophile”, I truly never think about licking the banana-plugs, so nope.
There are also some popular YT channels like Computerphile and Numberphile
to be frank, “Numberwang” is more titillating than “Numberphile”
That’s Numberwang!
Let’s rotate the board!
Cinephile is another common term.
Yeah another user mentioned those two too. The interesting part is that they have used a mixture of english and greek. For example Numberphile uses the enlish word “number” instead of the proper Arithmophile. I wonder if this is to make it easier to understand
The reason that a linguist would give is that -phile has become a somewhat productive suffix in English, so it is not constrained to Greek roots.
No, because I know what the suffix means.
But this is my question. The suffix means “to like” but this can be a good and a bad thing, depending on what the prefix is, like mentioned in the description. If you did not recognize the prefix would the average user assume the suffix to be sexual or negatively charged?
Well, I don’t think there is anything inherently sexual about the suffix, so no. But can’t speak for the average user.
I dunno. Does this sound sexual to you?
Barantaphile
Only dumb people will
That’s a large group though.
Yeah but fuck em
where do you think they keep coming from??
Sorry my bad. Butt fuck them
Just remember that the average Lemmy user is a bit more literate than the average kneejerk reaction idiot. Id say theres nothing wrong with it but you can probably come up with something a little more catchy and clever if you put your mind to it.
I think you are right. I might go with a mixture of English and Greek like an other user mentioned (computerphile, numberphile, bookphile) even though they are not proper.
I honestly think Bibliophile is used commonly enough that most people would understand it. Not quite as much as Audiophile, but you do hear it. It also sounds, info, much better than Bookphile.
Not necessarily, it depends on whether I recognize the first part of the word. For example, I dont immediately think “audiophile,” is negative or sexual in nature.
I assume the people who automatically think of something negative or sexual when hearing the word „phile“ are the same people you don’t want to associate with in the first place. Their opinion is worthless and can be ignored. Don’t waste your time with other people’s ignorance.
I’d agree with you, but if it is for the purpose of educating people, I wouldn’t want to scare them away because they would feel its a risky click when linked to…
You could do some kind of A/B testing. Use some “phile” name in half your links, some more semantophobic name in the other half, and see if the phile thing results in less clickthrough.
Yeah, I feel you. Maybe there is a case to be made here. But I think those who are ignorant choose to be so and it’s a lost cause. You probably shouldn’t listen to me. I think it’s great of you to consider something like this.
I have some interest in chemistry and after a while when I hear “phile” my first thought is “they are attracted to water”.
A nucleophile happens by and notices your electrophile. Your electrophile is attracted to their greater electron density and ditches you, the leaving group, for them. Was this SN1 or SN2?
So… you are a chemophile!! See what I mean? It kind of sounds negative without it being the case.
That part where it sounds negative is happening in your own head.
I think if you step back and evaluate this thread, you’ll find we’re all telling you it’s a non-problem.
My advice is to not worry about it and move on.
And, long shot, maybe take a look at your social surroundings and see if you’ve been in a group of pathological offense-takers. Hanging out with these types can result in your seeing the world as a minefield of unintended social insult.
It really seems to me like the thing you’re worried about is a non-issue.
Is it “furryphile”? Then yeah, they’ll think it’s sexual.
I’d simply guess “lover, liker, fond of”, without any obligatory sexual connotation. Even if I don’t recognise the first part, as in… say, “wugphile” (“wug” is just a nonsense placeholder).
When I was in a college level genetic biology class, we were discussing the early experiments using fruit flies. Their scientific name being Drosophila melanogaster; a species of fly in the family Drosophilidae. Pronounced “drow-sof-ila.” Well I had only ever read it, so when I raised my hand to ask a question, I didn’t understand why everyone was snickering as I pronounced it “draw-so-filia.”
Here I was trying to talk about genetics and instead I was making public a secret fly kink
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Definitely the vibe I got from this guy using the term heliophile and then after he asked if I knew what it was…. Explained it anyway, and how people always recoil at the use of the word.
I was just thinking, maybe they’re recoiling from your personality bro.
Hello. Yes stupid people do this and I ignore them or laugh at them for being stupid.
Nah it’s okay. Anglophile doesn’t mean you want to bang me.
Unless…?
Unless you’re acute anglo
