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Change from etymology to morphology is suggested.
:Thanks Foxtrot [[User:Daniel1212|Daniel1212]] 16:48, 24 February 2009 (EST)
:Thanks Foxtrot [[User:Daniel1212|Daniel1212]] 16:48, 24 February 2009 (EST)
::No problem! -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 06:24, 26 February 2009 (EST)
::No problem! -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 06:24, 26 February 2009 (EST)
==Homophobia - Etymology and definition==
I suggest the removal of the term "etymology" from this section. A better title would be "Homophobia - Morphology and definition."
:What makes homophobia a slur word is that the suffix "phobia" connotes a mental disorder, an irrational fear. The morpheme phob- means fear. But this morpheme is not merely historical in significance (etymology, diachronic linguistics). If in fact phobia were merely a matter of historical derivation, then this term would not have the polemical debater force that it has as a slur word. Instead of speaking of etymology, the issue is morphology and associated present semantics (synchronic linguistics). As a suffix, a phobia is a generative suffix in contemporary usage. When one adds -phobia to a word, immediately persons understand that an irrational fear of something is connoted. The force of this suffix has not faded in time to be merely a matter of the word's etymology. Etymological meaning is often faded (like dios in adios -- no present reference to God is felt or communicated in saying goodbye with "adios"). ([[User:Thunkful|Thunkful]] 17:44, 16 June 2010 (EDT))