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Pillar Of The Community
United States
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I was reading a digital copy of "The American Stamp Mercury" - which is a monthly publication written by the F. Trifet Stamp Company of Boston, Mass. during the 19th century. I was amused by the following editorial written in 1868 on the use of the word "Philately". The full digital book can be downloaded for free here: http://books.google.com/books/about...wm5MAAAAYAAJ Quote:Philately
This is the new fangled term which a few egotists in Europe and a very few more in America, have in their self-sufficient wisdom decided to be the term by which the science of stamp collecting shall henceforth and for ever be designated. Before accepting the word however, it might be well to ascertain whence the same high sounding term is derived. The coiners of the words gravely inform us that "Philately" is compounded from two Greek words, one of which means a friend and the other exemption from tax and on the strength of these two words, the word "Philatelist" literally "antitaxationist" is introduced to an enlightened community. So far, so good; in that sense, we have no objection whatever to the word "Philately", nay more than we are an ardent Philatelist ourself and have a righteous contempt for income rates, special licenses, manufacturer's taxes, beer barrel stamps and other impositions as well as for the mercenary officials who impose them; but we respectfully submit that anti-taxation and Stamp Collector are not synonymous terms, and further that not even the widest stretch of the imagination of the amateur lexicographers who coined the term can convince any sensible collector that the word "Philately," either in its derivation or literal sense, is in any way applicable as designating the science of stamp collecting and for which purpose we will venture the remark that the word Timbrophily has hitherto been found in every way suitable without taxing either the patience of collectors or the brains (if they have any) of the pedantic egotists who coined the phrase Philately. - American Stamp Mercury, page 63, Volume I, No. IX, July 1868 Brian |
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Brian Riley
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Pillar Of The Community
Canada
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A nonsense editorial by someone who had no ideas whatsoever of what philately was, or is. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Yep, Timbrophily, now that has a nice ring to it. I suppose one has to accent the second syllable: TimBROPHily because Timbro-PHILY makes it sound like two words and requires one to stop between the penultimate and last syllables (just tryin' to imitate the 19th century elevated prose style of the Editors).
Timbrophily, Timbrophily, Timbrophily, kinda grows on a feller, don't it?
But what I don't get is why they reached for the French word "Timbre." Why not Stamphily? Much simpler, easy to say. I'm a stamphilist. Simpler is better. I'll stamp my feet and insist I'm a plain old stamphilist.
Or, since the Editors emphasized the "science" of stamp collecting, why not Stampology? Stamphily or Timbrophily would mean a stamp lover. But the Editors themselves consider themselves stamp collecting scientists. So Stammpology and Stampologists. Rolls right off the tongue.
That's why the hobby is declining. Too high-falutin'. The American Stampology Society needs to chuck that Philatelic nonsense. Even 2nd graders can say "stampology" and probably know what it means. Can't say the same for Philately. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
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I disagree. Before the introduction of postage stamps the recipient of the letter had to pay the postage charge (or tax) before the letter was handed over. Postage stamps were introduced for prepayment of the mails by the sender for a number of reasons, but one was to eliminate the loss of revenue from refused letters. The new system of pre-payment thus ensured that mail would be received free of charge to the addressee and was immediately popular with both the sender and the receiver. By one because there was now a better chance of their letter being received, and by the other because they no longer had to pay for their mail.
The term philatelie was coined by George Herpin in 1864, an amalgam of the Greek philo (loving) and ateleia (a = not + telos = toll or tax, so free of tax).
This new word, philately, seems apt in describing the post receivers' love of not having to pay for their post. So why not the study of stamps and postal history? So should it be an "ology" from medieval Latin, logia, taken from the Greek? Then we might have philatelology, the study of the love of freedom from tax.
Terry
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| Edited by Terence Collins - 09/04/2014 3:51 pm |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
12128 Posts |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
1255 Posts |
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I'm with Hieronymus on this one. Timbrophiliy has a wonderful, er, timbre. It is sonorous and rolls off the tongue like every good new word should. I plan to re-introduce it at every opportunity in order to crush the pedantic egoists of this world like beetles under my boots. Or something like that  |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
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Tim H., I've decided to jilt Timbrophilly for Stampology. I'm just a peasant from the Midwest, not a frenchified Boston Brahmin. Sorry to be such a fair-weather friend, but sometimes a feller's gotta do what he's gotta do.
Besides, Stampology permits multi-culturalism, respects all cultures instead of cramming everyone into Greek or French shoes:
Stampology forever! Stampologists of the [English-speaking] world unite!
Briefmarkelogen [und Briefmarkelogin] der Welt einigt Euch! Es lebe die Briefmarkenlogie!
Anybody know what Tagalog for Stampology would be?
How about Klingon or Galactic Basic?
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| Edited by Hieronymus - 09/04/2014 4:36 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
1255 Posts |
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Walang idea about Tagalog. Possibly Stambology. Hey, what would I know I'm a timbrologist? Je suis un timbrologiste. Schisms already after 2 hours and 37 minutes of the post's history. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
1187 Posts |
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Klingon? Asimov got there first. Terry  |
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| Edited by Terence Collins - 09/04/2014 5:41 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
856 Posts |
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Hieronymus, if we switch to "stampology," many our stamp shows will have to switch from "PEX" to "SEX" -- OKSEX, BALSEX, and so on!  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
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TC: Didn't Asimov *always* get there first?
'TimBROPHily' sounds like a prepared vegetable.
We 'recce' in place of 'rec/onnaissan/ce'.
So, let's use 'Se' in place of 'S/cienc/e'.
We would then abbreviate the Science of Stamp Collecting as 'SeCS', which has a nice ring to it.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey |
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Rest in Peace
United States
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RustyC
Fringe benefits, as they say!
All the old APS Geezers have been complaining that the hobby is dying off and needs to attract the yunguns. Exchanging PEX for SEX can't hurt, can it?
Vive la Stampologie! |
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| Edited by Hieronymus - 09/04/2014 8:35 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
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I think the editorial writer was spot on. I never bothered to discover the derivation but now I am at least justified in my disdain for the term. Postology would even be better. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
10588 Posts |
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"and have a righteous contempt for income rates, special licenses, manufacturer's taxes, beer barrel stamps...."
Anyone who writes something like this is clearly elitist gutter trash anyway, who cares what his opinion was.
As for Philately, the derivation was done 150 years ago, it's a little late to change it now. Personally, I am proud to call myself a philatelist. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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How many have noticed that web searching news for "philately", "philatelist" and "philatelic" primarily pickup international news reports whereas US news on the subject is more likely to contain the phrase "stamp collecting" or something similar?
Granted, most hobbyists consider "philately" a study of stamps beyond that of the casual "stamp collector" but it just goes to show how these words are put into common use within certain countries. |
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| Edited by wt1 - 09/04/2014 10:16 pm |
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Replies: 36 / Views: 6,689 |
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Posted 09/04/2014 2:20 pm
