Corpora: tetragram

Karen Stanley (kstanley@charlotte.infi.net)
Wed, 23 Jul 1997 07:34:07 -0500

Henning Reetz makes a *logical* point when he says:
-----
In short, Quadrigram would be the most agreeable form. Another argument:
Bi-, Tri-,... next should be Quadri- (it's not Bu-, Tru-,...). Tetragram is
out, because Tetra- is Greek, Bi- and Tri- are Latin.
-----

However, such logic is not always consistent with the development
of language.
I, myself, had figured it ought to be 'quadrigram' until someone
mentioned 'tetragram'.
In my dictionary, as illogical as it may seem, 'tetragram' is listed (but
not 'quadrigram'). And, of course, pentagram (not quinquegram
or quintegram, so far as I know) is used.
Go figure.

Karen
kstanley@charlotte.infi.net
karen_stanley@cpcc.cc.nc.us