Changes

: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))

: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))

Clarification:  At issue are the meanings of the morphemes in "homophobia."  Historically, as to etymology, the word can be broken into the elements: hom- = same, -o- = connecting vowel for words of Greek derivation, phob- = fear, -ia = process, state, condition.  However, in terms of synchronic meaning, homo- = homosexual, phobia = irrational fear of, a type of mental disorder.  By way of comparison the word "understand" has the etymological elements under = under and stand = stand.  But by no stretch of the imagination does understand mean to "stand under."  In terms of synchronic linguistics, explanations about the etymological meanings of "stand" and "under" are irrelevant to synchronic meaning.  Synchronically "understand" has but one morpheme (element that has meaning).  I hope this clarifies why I think that this section should be called "Morphology and definition."  It is the present meaning which is much more significant that the etymology.  Alternatively, somehow the section could be revised to indicate that the meaning of -phobia is irrational fear, as a type of mental disorder and that the etymology is not faded in meaning so as to render it irrelevant semantically. ([[User:Thunkful|Thunkful]] 18:14, 16 June 2010 (EDT))

::Clarification:  At issue are the meanings of the morphemes in "homophobia."  Historically, as to etymology, the word can be broken into the elements: hom- = same, -o- = connecting vowel for words of Greek derivation, phob- = fear, -ia = process, state, condition.  However, in terms of synchronic meaning, homo- = homosexual, phobia = irrational fear of, a type of mental disorder.  By way of comparison the word "understand" has the etymological elements under = under and stand = stand.  But by no stretch of the imagination does understand mean to "stand under."  In terms of synchronic linguistics, explanations about the etymological meanings of "stand" and "under" are irrelevant to synchronic meaning.  Synchronically "understand" has but one morpheme (element that has meaning).  I hope this clarifies why I think that this section should be called "Morphology and definition."  It is the present meaning which is much more significant that the etymology.  Alternatively, somehow the section could be revised to indicate that the meaning of -phobia is irrational fear, as a type of mental disorder and that the etymology is not faded in meaning so as to render it irrelevant semantically. ([[User:Thunkful|Thunkful]] 18:14, 16 June 2010 (EDT))

==The Definition of Homophobia==

==The Definition of Homophobia==