stephan huller

They also typically shy away from thinking the powers that be are out to screw them. The Ryan Plan for instance would be political suicide anywhere else. Why? Because most people assume 'the powers that be' are out to screw them.

Duke Leto

Idiotic question, but aren't all cultures unlike any others?

stephan huller

I am sure about the -ianus termination. It comes up time and again in the books I've read. Anyone claiming that Christianus 'makes sense' has to acknowledge that (a) its Latin and (b) that it mistook Christ for a personal name.

stephan huller

But with respect to religion. There is usually one dominant religion in cahoots with the government. The idea of the government getting out of the way of what you believe is distinctly American. In England Catholics had it hard. In Catholic countries Protestants were discriminated against. In Sunni Muslim countries ...

stephan huller

One can argue that Protestants had it better than Catholics in the US but the government was officially prohibited from engaging in preference or reward.

stephan huller

With regards to the formation of names of someone belonging to someone else here is an example.

'of Mark' (single) -

Syriac - mrqa
Latin - Marcianus

(plural)

Syriac - mrqi
Latin - Marciani

Duke Leto

:constern02: Not denying that the Ryan Plan is shit and the GOP voters are idiots for supporting it, but given that the entire modus operandi of the American Right has been to prove that the Federal Government is "the powers that be" and is out to get the little guy, and the GOP is protecting them from it... Maybe it's just an exceptional manifestation of the universal. Koch brothers are certainly feared as being out to screw us among my circle of Facebook friends.

stephan huller

Actually I am starting to notice that many of the sects had this absurd Latin terminus even when named after things other than individuals. While Eusebius mentions a fourth century law against Novatiani, Valentiniani, Marcianistae, Pauliani and Phryges (Vita Constant. 3.64 -65) there are other -iani sects later in the history of Christianity that don't fit the bill. The Borboriani for instance 'those of filth.' But maybe this was made in Greek following the pattern of other heresies.

stephan huller

Why is it the Marcianistae here rather than the Marciani? The Borboriani probably comes from Clement's description of the Nicolatiani - 'mired in filth.' Not a real sect name anyway.

stephan huller

Also the Coddiani. Epiphanius says comes from the Syriac coda (= plate).