A chu~~
I'm so curious about how to use the word "holic"!!
I have some question about the word " holic".I just use the word with any noun.and I also say these word with foreigners .and they can unerstand what I want to mean ,too. example :Americaholic / tidyholic /movieholic ......I see the word "holic" in a English novel -diary of a Wimpy Kid- but in the novel I just saw the word" chocoholic" .It means the person who loves choco holic very much.
ps. I think Americaholic means the person who love every things about America.example America's food / America's culture / America's educate ......
and I look up the word in my electronic dictionary.It says the "noun+holic" means somebody love something very much.But someone tell me that was wrong when I use the word "Americaholic"and I ask my English teacher.She says not every noun can put with "holic".' and what kind of noun can put with the word- holic?' but she dont knoe how to answer my question! I ask so many guys about this question !but they don't know how to answer my question , too.
Who can tell me !!Is there amy rules?? what word can I put with the word "holic"??And why the foreigner I chat with them before know what I mean?
THANK U!! THANK U!! THANK U!! THANK U!! THANK U!! THANK U!! THANK U!!
2011年10月7日 17:36
解答 · 9
5
Hello,
"holic" comes from the word "alcoholic" - which is someone who is addicted to alcohol and can't stop drinking it. So, adding "holic" to a word is a funny way to say a person is addicted to something. I am a chocoholic :) Many women are "shopaholics" (they like to buy clothes!). I think those are the only nouns that Americans add holic to. They are not real words ... just said to be funny. I probably wouldn't add holic to anything else .. just maybe occasinally if you are making a joke.
2011年10月7日
3
Your teacher is right, from a pure official vocabulary perspective, you cannot add holic to any noun and have an English word you will find in a dictionary. However, to describe someone that is "addicted" to anything, in America you can add "holic" or "aholic" as appropriate, and everyone will understand you and not challenge the word.
2011年10月7日
2
Oh, it's so interesting! It seems, you created a new vocabular. :) To me, "any noun +holic" sounds awesome, because I like to play with a language. It reminds me the poem "Jabberwocky" from 'Alice in Wonderland'. And I really believe you can use the term movieholic, if you write a novel, and your character explains the meaning of this term. However, there are only some words with ~holic. For example, workaholic (the persons working too much). Good luck with your studies! :)
2011年10月7日
2
I think you misunderstood the background to "-holic". As Janel has said, it comes from "alcoholic". This means that a "___-holic" is addicted to that thing, and not in a healthy way. You are indicating a problem with "-holic".
For someone who loves something very much, use "-phile" (from the Greek " to love"). So instead of "Americaholic", you should have used "Americaphile".
Don't worry that your teacher couldn't explain it. We teachers get curveballs like that every day. :)
2011年10月7日
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