What does it mean? Why is it there?
2006-11-03 06:52:07 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The invented words you are thinking of were created by imitating a couple of REAL words which happen to have o's at that point:
panorama [From Greek pan-, 'all' + horama, 'sight']
automatic [From Greek automatos : auto-, auto- + -matos, willing]
And it's not just an imitation of the sounds-- the MEANINGS of these two words form part of the meaning of the newly invented words.
Thus:
"-omatic" things are automated
"-orama"
Used to form, from one noun, a second, meaning:
1. "wide view of" the first, or
2. (with ironic reference to the preceding sense) "surfeit of", "overattention to", or "exaggerated praise of" the first"
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-orama
2006-11-03 07:04:16 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It comes from advertising names. "-o-rama" would indicate an event that is very extensive. "O-matic" indicates something highly technical that performs some task automatically.
2006-11-03 15:00:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Huh, I guess I was wrong. My yahoo addy is based on Allarama.
I think it's mostly phonetic though.
2006-11-03 15:54:35 · answer #3 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It stands for orgasm.
2006-11-03 15:00:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋