word's antecedents

[meliss]

I don't understand the meaning of the second part of the sentence above (after "extremist"):

"Someone who disagrees with you,..., is an "extremist", which carries all the implications of "excess", that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."

Thank you for helping me.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by meliss

I don't understand the meaning of the second part of the sentence above (after "extremist"):

"Someone who disagrees with you,..., is an "extremist", which carries all the implications of "excess", that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."

Thank you for helping me.

It means that "extremist" is dervied from "extremism" which is derived from "extreme". All of the words have a great deal to do with "excess".

[meliss]

Yes, I see, but what about

"that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."?

What is so obviously? And which are the word's antecedents? (And what word?)

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by meliss

Yes, I see, but what about

"that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."?

What is so obviously? And which are the word's antecedents? (And what word?)

What is so obviously? the meaning "excess"

And which are the word's antecedents? "extremism" and "extreme"

(And what word?) "extremist"

[BobK]

Originally Posted by meliss

Yes, I see, but what about
"that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."?
What is so obviously? And which are the word's antecedents? (And what word?)

I agree with Mike, but I sympathize, meliss. The sentence isn't a masterpiece of the writer's art. And, for what it's worth, I disagree with the writer. What excess and extreme have in common is a prefix that means 'out of' (although in the case of 'extreme' that prefix has combined with another one - trans, meaning 'across', so that the real prefix involved in the creation of Latin extremus was not simply ex- but extra-). I don't think that the words have much in common; their antecedents are different (though ultimately from the same language); and I don't believe much of this is obvious at all.

b

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by BobK

I agree with Mike, but I sympathize, meliss. The sentence isn't a masterpiece of the writer's art. And, for what it's worth, I disagree with the writer. What excess and extreme have in common is a prefix that means 'out of' (although in the case of 'extreme' that prefix has combined with another one - trans, meaning 'across', so that the real prefix involved in the creation of Latin extremus was not simply ex- but extra-). I don't think that the words have much in common; their antecedents are different (though ultimately from the same language); and I don't believe much of this is obvious at all.

b

And let's not forget that extreme and excessive can be synonyms.

[meliss]

Thank you very much indeed. However it's a pity you can't tell me this phrase in French, for instance (can you?), let alone Ukrainian or Russian. It'd give me a clearer idea of its meaning for translation.

[BobK]

Originally Posted by meliss

I don't understand the meaning of the second part of the sentence above (after "extremist"):
"Someone who disagrees with you,..., is an "extremist", which carries all the implications of "excess", that are so obviously in the word's antecedents."
....
Thank you very much indeed. However it's a pity you can't tell me this phrase in French, for instance (can you?), let alone Ukrainian or Russian. It'd give me a clearer idea of its meaning for translation.

'... qui a toutes les résonances du mot excès, si clairement visible dans l'étymologie de ce mot-ci.'

The French needs checking by a native speaker though.


b

[meliss]

Parfait! Merci beaucoup.

[BobK]

Originally Posted by meliss

Parfait! Merci beaucoup.

De rien!

b