Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2020 January 28

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January 28

Sophomore

How come so many people use this word simply to mean second?? Are there any similar words used to mean third, fourth, and so on?? Georgia guy (talk) 12:33, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

See Sophomore, from the first sentence of the article "is a student in the second year of study at high school or college." By analogy, the word sophomore is often applied to other second efforts, such as a professional athlete's second season in the pros, or a band's second album, etc. I am not aware of any special terms applied similarly to any other situation for "third", "fourth" etc. (that is, there is no special word for a band's third album) --Jayron32 13:07, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

But why do people use such a fancy word when "second" is more obvious?? Georgia guy (talk) 13:17, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Because sometimes people like to use fancy words. The use of synonyms in English is a way to add variety and texture to language. --Jayron32 13:26, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Why do you (User:Georgia guy) use two question marks when one is sufficient? --Khajidha (talk) 13:37, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

I just think it's interesting. Georgia guy (talk) 13:55, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Adding varietyness and texturing. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:38, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

If you want 'fancy', students in successive years at the university I attended were called Bejants, Semis, Tertians and Magistrands, and had a somewhat unusual dress code. That's what 6 centuries of tradition can land you with. (And don't mention the raisins!) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.205.58.107 (talk) 17:08, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Please get a Wikipedia user name so that we'll know all your edits are the same person. Georgia guy (talk) 17:32, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

There's no rule requiring registration, and "poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195" has never run afoul of any rules that I can recall. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:36, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Also, unlike many IP users, TPFKA 87.etc uses a consistent identity. They've been here for years, and always identifies themselves as the same person. Get off their back, GG. They did nothing wrong, and there's no reason you should be bothering them. --Jayron32 19:56, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

I apologize. Sometimes we have to "think outside the box" with how problems with Wikipedia can be resolved. Georgia guy (talk) 20:04, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Unregistered users are not a problem that needs to be resolved. --Jayron32 20:06, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Just for comparison, at the university I went to, undergrads were called first-year, second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students. "Freshmen" or "frosh" was used as well for first-years, but unofficially. And at the high school I went to, there were grade 9, grade 10, grade 11, year 4, and year 5 students. (Well, not all of those simultaneously. They changed the numbering the after I finished grade 11.) --142.112.159.101 (talk) 02:14, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

My school career went from Sub A to Sub B to Standard 1 through Standard 9 and the 12th years is called Matric and us scholars were matriculants. Also my Kimberley Boys' High School as the teacher wear robes, by choice. Anton 81.131.40.58 (talk) 09:41, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

It seems that the word is mainly used with this meaning in combinations like "sophomore album" or "sophomore book" for artists who had a successful launch of their first creations, naturally leading people to ask if these would turn out to be one-hit wonders. Publishing their second one proves they are not early dropouts. There appear to be more semantic undertones than carried by just "second". For the rest, language evolves by occasional innovations plus people copying what they hear from others. Fads come and go, and a few changes stick, in languages as well as in other cultural manifestations. Why some things spread while others don't, and why some fall out of fashion when they do, is not generally well understood.  --Lambiam 08:58, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

That theory sounds groovy. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:09, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

When I was in the UK in the early 1980s, the word "sophomore" was considered an American word (not generally used by UK students to refer to themselves), and it originated as a kind of joke (it means "wise fool" in Greek). Nevertheless, Wikipedia has an article on sophomore slump... AnonMoos (talk) 21:10, 30 January 2020 (UTC)

Sort of off-topic, but at least it's about the same word: My mother went to a two-year college in the South (transferred to a four-year one later on, and eventually got her Master's). I remember seeing the yearbook from the two-year college. They essentially "multiplied the class name by two": First-year students were "sophomores"; second-year were "seniors". Curious whether anyone else is familiar with this usage. --Trovatore (talk) 21:31, 29 January 2020 (UTC)