pedo-, paedo-, ped-, paed-, paido-, paid-

1. A specialist who cures deformities or disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, or muscles: The orthopedist surgeon was the doctor who performed a successful operation on Jack's knee.
2. Etymology: originally from Greek paideia, "child rearing"; applied specifically to childhood bone disorders.

Outdated, the curing or correction of deformities in children or in adults; orthopedics: In his old book on medicine, Jack read that orthopedy was an old-fashioned term for the branch of medicine regarding the prevention or the correction of bone disorders and related joints and muscles.

Pertaining to the whole circle of science: For Christmas, Susan got the first volume of a pancyclopedic work that she could start using for her classes in school.

The character, spirit, or manner of a teacher; the system of teaching: Pedagogism applies to the business, the ways, the system, and the occupation of teachers who instruct children.

1. Originally, a man having the oversight of a child or youth: A pedagogue used to be an attendant (or slave) who led a boy to school. The term is now obsolete and was once used exclusively in reference to ancient times.
2. A teacher of children: A pedagogue is someone whose occupation is the instruction of children or youths, also called a schoolmaster, and has a negative implication of being very strict and instructs in a dogmatic manner.

Being a pedagogue was and still should be considered an honorable profession!

A pedagogue is now defined as a "schoolteacher, an educator". Originally, it came from Latin paedagogus, a slave who supervised a boy, or boys, including some degree of education. Girls were not a part of the educational system in classical times.

Apparently, the girls were "home-taught" by their mothers or female slaves to be prepared for restricted careers as wives and not for intellectual pursuits as in our modern times.

In wealthier Grecian families, there was at least one slave, especially selected for learning, whose duty it was to take care of the sons of the family during boyhood. One of these duties was to accompany his assigned boys, when they went on the public roads, to and from the gymnasium, or to other places.

Due to the nature of his duties, such a slave was known, in Greek, as a paidagogos, literally a "leader of boys", from pais, "boy", and agogos, "leader".

Sometimes the pedagog was himself a man of high learning, unfortunate enough to have been captured in warfare and subsequently sold as a slave, especially after the Romans defeated the Greeks. In some instances, he also served as a tutor to the boys of the family.

It should be kept in mind that in its original sense, pedagogue did not mean a teacher, but described as the servant who led the well-to-do Greek boy to the gymnasium (school) and then later the "better educated" and captured Greek slave was responsible for the wealthy Roman boys.

Despite the current pejorative senses that have been attached mostly by Americans to pedagogue, pedant, pedantic, and pedantry, such derogatory applications still have not included pedagogik, "of the art of teaching".

Pedophilia originally meant "a love" or "fondness" for children without any sexual deviation applications

Despite the pejorative meaning now applied to pedophilia, etymologically it has had a moral and fully acceptable and positive reference to anyone who loves and cares for children, such as parents, grandparents, teachers, etc.

The more appropriate term for child molesters is paraphilia which is used in psychiatry to mean "sexual deviation" and "sexual perversion", which are two major groups of sexual disorders.

A schoolmistress: In the 19th century it was quite common to have pedagoguettes, or female teachers, in the little school houses in villages.

The function, profession, or practice of a school instructor; the work or occupation of teaching; the art or science of teaching; instruction: Pedagogy includes the discipline, training, and the means or system of introductory training in teaching methods.

1. Formerly, a schoolmaster; a tutor; It used to be that a pedant taught in a little schoolhouse or taught the children of wealthy parents.
2. One who makes a display of learning, especially with books: A pedant over emphasizes rules or minor details and adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.
3. Someone who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning: A pedant can be an erudite person who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the use or presentation of his knowledge or is a a formalist or precisionist in teaching or scholarship.

A woman who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules: Once Lois had a teacher who was a pedantess who always displayed her academic learning in class. .

1. Characteristic of someone who is excessively concerned with minor and trivial details and rules, especially when displaying academic learning: When anyone asks Frank's professor a question about the sources of words, the student usually gets pedantic responses that include meanings and the origins of the vocabulary expressions.
2. Etymology: from Middle French pedant, pedante, from Italian pedante "a teacher, a schoolmaster", of uncertain origin, traced by some sources to Latin paedagogans, present participle of paedagogare, "to teach", from Greek paedagogein, "to instruct children". © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

A condition of excessive attention to the correct rules and details of something; pedantry: Professor Wright was known for his pedanticism when expressing himself and when correcting his students term papers and so not many students signed up for his seminars.

As an example of Prof. Wright's pedanticism, he was especially concerned with language, the usage of terms, and grammar.

1. An excessive concern with the behavior in the way of a pedant: The pedantism of Jim's mother was quite difficult to live with because she always paid attention to perfect table manners and to the way he dressed himself.
2. A display of academic learning: Nobody wanted to have Mr. Smith as a teacher because he was known for his pedantism and strict methods of teaching.

A government by pedants: Mrs. Smith did not agree with the system of pedantocracy which involved individuals who always pointed out unimportant and minor details or former rules, and pretentiously exhibited their academic knowledge.

A pedantocracy can also be a government that requires full details when administering issues in the laws that have been passed.

Someone in government who is too concerned with unimportant details or the rules of procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.

1. An ostentatious or inappropriate display of learning that indicates someone who parades his or her academic knowledge: Pedantry is often expressed by a teacher or scholar and involves a presentation of success that is designed to impress people.
2. Etymology: from Middle French pedante, from Italian pedante, “a teacher, a schoolmaster", of uncertain origin, traced by some sources to Latin paedagogans, present participle of paedagogare, "to teach"; from Greek paedagogein "to instruct children."

Pedantry started out as a derivative of pedant, a noun that started out meaning "teacher" but then it indicated "someone who tends to brag about his or her scholarly achievements."

© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.