Spyke

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14 replies

cecilkorik
piefed.ca

The common joke is that English is actually a dozen different languages hiding within a single trenchcoat. Just because some words and groups of words look similar and are spelled almost the same doesn't mean they follow the same linguistic rules because they might've come from a completely different language using a completely different linguistic system or a completely different time period. It's really almost impossible to tell how to work with a particular English word without knowing its backstory, even when there are "rules", most of the rules have plenty of exceptions because of this.

Trying to draw clear, consistent, universal patterns out of the English language is a fool's errand. If you wanted to achieve that, you'd need another language. (and then English would probably steal a bunch of its words too)

7
bizarroland
lemmy.world

Ad- is a prefix that means to or towards.

Ministers ministrate and administers administrate.

6
bizarrolandreply
lemmy.world

The definition.

An administer is an administer, whereas a minister is a minister.

And while ministers can administrate, and administrators can ministrate, by default, they would do the one that fits them better.

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burgermeisterreply
sh.itjust.works

I guess my question is what's the difference between administrating and ministrating

3
bizarrolandreply
lemmy.world

I believe administration is typically more related to a business or an organization whereas ministration is more relegated to a person.

3
wedgereply
multiverse.soulism.net

This is the correct answer but everyone is going all 3000 IQ about English. Yes, English is nonsense, but in this case itโ€™s pretty cut and dry.

1
slazer2au
lemmy.world

Guess out of my butt would be different root words. One would be Latin based the other Germanic(?)

3
talreply
lemmy.today

goes to look on etymonline

It looks like both forms of "minister" have a Latin root:

https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=minister

minister(n.)

c. 1300, "man consecrated to service in the Christian Church, an ecclesiastic;" also "an agent acting for a superior, one who acts upon the authority of another," from Old French menistre "servant, valet, member of a household staff, administrator, musician, minstrel" (12c.) and directly from Latin minister (genitive ministri) "inferior, servant, priest's assistant" (in Medieval Latin, "priest"), from minus, minor "less," hence "subordinate" (from PIE root *mei- (2) "small") + comparative suffix *-teros. Formed on the model of magister (see master (n.)).

minister(v.)

early 14c., ministren, "to perform religious rites, provide religious services;" mid-14c., "to serve (food or drink);" late 14c. "render service, aid, or medicine; furnish means of relief or remedy" from Old French menistrer "to serve, be of service, administer, attend, wait on," and directly from Latin ministrare "to serve, attend, wait upon," from minister "inferior, servant, priest's assistant" (see minister (n.)). Related: Ministered; ministering.

And for "administrator":

https://www.etymonline.com/word/administrator

administrator(n.)

"one who has been given authority to manage," mid-15c., administratour, from Old French administrateur or directly from Latin administrator "a manager, conductor," agent noun from past-participle stem of administrare "to manage, control, superintend" (see administer). The estate sense is earliest. For ending, see -er.

And "administer":

administer(v.)

late 14c., aministren, later administren, "to manage as a steward, control or regulate on behalf of others," from Old French aministrer "help, aid, be of service to" (12c., Modern French administrer), and directly from Latin administrare "to help, assist; manage, control, guide, superintend; rule, direct," from ad "to" (see ad-) + ministrare "to serve, attend, wait upon," from minister "inferior, servant, priest's assistant" (see minister (n.)).

So while it was an interesting thought, it looks like all four words, "minister" (noun), "minister" (verb), "administrator" (noun), and "administrate" (verb) have Latin roots.

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โ„•๐•–๐•ž๐• reply
midwest.social

If I'm reading your research right, it seems that "administrator" comes to English from the French, while the rest come directly from the Latin. I want to think that's where the difference comes from.

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Why "administrator" instead of "administer"? | Spyke