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From: Tony Xenos and company <ax823092@oak.cats.ohiou.edu>
Subject: Re: ae (was: Sociological autopsy of the Dunblane massacre)
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> Remember, this goes back to:
> 
> : > : Cheradenine Zakalwe <zakalwe@vision25.demon.co.uk> writes:
> : > : > It's a pity English can't use the words "child-doctor", "foot-doctor"
> : > : > etc.
> 
> Why can't it?

I DO use foot-doctor and eye-doctor is speech at least as often as
podiatrist and opthamalogist.  However, there is precedent that prefixing
a profession with a category of person means a professional who is that
kind of person, not a professional who deals with that kind of person.
The most common example I can think of is the (rightly) out of fashion
"woman-doctor" or "lady-layer".  Witch-doctor is the same construction, as
would be child-doctor (referring to Doogie Howser, m.d., I presume.)

Craig

