So if hippophobia is a morbid fear of horses… what would a morbid fear of hippototamii be known as?
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If you are going to get clever, it really ought to be
hippopotamoi,
since it is derived from the greek “hippos”, a horse and “potamos”, a river, the plural of which is “potamoi”.
And if it were Latin, which it isn’t, it would hippopotami with a single “i”.
Keep up at back there.
PG
Oh, and if you haven’t seen this, you really ought to.
hippopotamophobia
Pedant-General, what’s that you say? Are you choking, is that it? Gasping? I’ll be right over to help in a… minute or two 😛 In any case, everyone knows that “hippopotamoi” is what hippos shout at football matches.
Francis, could be, could be. It is just one of those words you never know when you might need.
I suppose it should be some Greek form of hippopotamusphobia, as in ‘fear of river horses’, but personally I lean towards Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is you really want to cloud the issue (trying saying that after 2 bottles of Sauveniere).
As long as we’re being pedantic, we speak English, not Greek or Latin. There’s no reason to mimic Greek or Latin plurals, which are dependent on case anyway. The plural is hippopotamuses.
Would it not perhaps be something like ‘pachydermophobia’, since a hippopotamus is a pachydermous quadruped?
Absolutely fantastic point, Ivan.
Would hippopotamuses be muses painted by Peter Paul Rubens?
Or Stubbs?
A morbid fear of Hippopotamus’ would be called “Common Sense” because hippos are responsible for more human deaths than crocodiles.
Q: What do you call a hippo with chicken pox?
A: A hippo-spottymus
Why not use the Swazi word in your photo, so Timnvubuphobia?
Reggie Perrin Syndrome.
Never mind the pedantry. Be aware that hippos will bite you in half if you swim near them. THat’s Africa for you. Only surviving large animals are the ones that do not like human company.
Like Robert Mugabe?
Yes, but Mike – what if you are frightened of hippopotamuses but not of elephants? You wouldn’t be fair to yourself if you advertised yourself as having a blanket phobia. You might come across as too fearful and not get the job.
Simon Jester – V good!