Unicycle Semantics (was Re: Unicycle comparison: Miyata & Semcycle)

Ted Howe wrote:
[color=blue]> ODNO- one KOLYOSNYI- wheeled VELOSIPED- bicycle So this fits the usual[/color]
[color=blue]> oxymoron pattern.[/color]

Except it's not an oxymoron. In English it's an oxymoron, as the word bicycle
is derived from the Latin (I believe, I wasn't classically educated) meaning
"two wheels".

The French word Velocipede and the Russian Velosiped mean literally "fast
running". The number of wheels is not defined - so adding the prefix "one
wheeled" does not create an oxymoron.

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Danny Colyer danny@mos.clara.net This message should contain 0 attachments

JBreed wrote:
[color=blue]> Does "velosiped" contain the meaning 2 (like bicycle in English)?[/color]

Arnold the Aardvark wrote:
[color=blue]> Hmmm.....The morphemes of VELOCIPED itself mean something like "fast foot" (a[/color]
[color=blue]> fast foot-powered vehicle--faster than walking, that is). Since it does not[/color]
[color=blue]> literally mean "two wheeled vehicle" this is NOT an oxymoron.[/color]

Danny Colyer wrote:
[color=blue]> Except it's not an oxymoron. In English it's an oxymoron, as the word bicycle[/color]
[color=blue]> is derived from the Latin (I believe, I wasn't classically educated) meaning[/color]
[color=blue]> "two wheels". The French word Velocipede and the Russian Velosiped mean[/color]
[color=blue]> literally "fast running". The number of wheels is not defined - so adding the[/color]
[color=blue]> prefix "one wheeled" does not create an oxymoron.[/color]

Oops--my mistake. You guys are right. Thanks for clarifying that.

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Ted Howe TedLHowe@compuserve.com