Re: Off Topic: Pathalogical

[Robin Berjon <robin@knowscape.com>]

At 16:20 03/02/2001 -0500, Clark C. Evans wrote:
>Rick,
>
>I'm wondering about your usage of the word "pathalogical".  I've seen 
>only a few times before (most recently in the book Learning Python).
>
>On Sat, 3 Feb 2001, Rick Jelliffe wrote:
>> schema languages must be initially to identify pathological cases that
>                                                 ^
>In particular, I'm curious about the etymology of your usage
>of this word.  I've looked up the word in almost every dictionary
>and reference work that I have access to (the ones on my bookshelf
>date to the 70's and 80's so they may be out-of-date) and
>on-line sources below.  In each case, the word was either not
>found, or had the traditional (and expected), "compulsive" definition.

[snip]

>pathological (path'?-loj?i-k?l) also pathologic (-ik) adjective
>Abbr. path., pathol.
>
>1.Of or relating to pathology.
>2.Relating to or caused by disease.
>3.Of, relating to, or manifesting behavior that is habitual and
>compulsive:
>a pathological liar.

From m-w.com

pathology
Etymology: New Latin pathologia & Middle French pathologie, from Greek
pathologia study of the emotions, from path- + -logia -logy
Date: 1611
1 : the study of the essential nature of diseases and especially of the
structural and functional changes produced by them
2 : something abnormal: 
  a : the structural and functional deviations from the normal that
constitute disease or characterize a particular disease 
  b : deviation from propriety or from an assumed normal state of something
nonliving or nonmaterial

The way I understand it a pathological case of something computer related
is a case that demonstrates some abnormality, for instance as a bug or as a
serious problem in performance.

-- robin b.
All fangs and no brain.