Antidisestablishmentarianism....................?????????

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Antidisestablishmentarianism
there are several contradictory...umm crap i forgot the name for it..... well anyways anti and dis are contradictory and same for ian and ism. so why is there such a word that means pretty much nothing (i think) but means exactly what it says????? thanks!!!!

Answer 1

Antidisestablishmentarianism is the opposition to splitting Church and State, especially used for 19th century England. "Anti" and "dis" are necessary prefixes. It couldn't simply be "establishmentarianism" because that would mean someone who supported establishing Church and State in England. But it was already established, so there were no establishmentarians. Antidisestablishmentarians were specifically opposed to disestablishmentarians. "Arian" and "Ism" aren't contradictory either; they're complementary. But I think you're right that it's redundant. I think you could just say "antidisestablishmentism" but that sounds a little odd.

Answer 2

originated in the context of the nineteenth century Church of England, where "antidisestablishmentarians" were opposed to proposals to remove the Church's status as the state church of England. The movement succeeded in England, but failed in Ireland and Wales, with the Church of Ireland being disestablished in 1871 and the Church of Wales in 1920. Antidisestablishmentarian members of the Free Church of Scotland delayed merger with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in a dispute about the position of the Church of Scotland. The term has largely fallen into disuse, although the issue itself is still current (see Act of Settlement 1701).

Answer 3

Exactly! Someone who is against people who are AGAINST the establishment is an establishmentist (or establishmentarianist) Otherwise you could have conantidis-establishmentarianists or proconantidis-establishmenta-rianists