Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Patientone on May 17, 2014, 01:08:25 PM

Title: Just wondering ..
Post by: Patientone on May 17, 2014, 01:08:25 PM
What is ...  oestrogen ?

I understand it's a form of estrogen .. but don't get what the o signifies?

Is it something different?
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Taz2 on May 17, 2014, 02:02:10 PM
Hi - as far as I know oestrogen and estrogen are the same. Oestrogen is the English spelling and Estrogen the American spelling.

Taz x
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Hurdity on May 17, 2014, 04:04:25 PM
Hi Patientone

Just to add also that the the "o" is part of the word's origin and its correct pronunciation. I don't know why a lot of these double letters have been removed in US - the same happens for "ae" together - the a is removed.

The word comes from Latin oestrus - pronounced eestrus. Oestrogen should also be pronouned the same way ie "eestrogen". In US they have removed the "o" and now pronounce it with a short "e" as in "get", but this means the clue to its etymology is lost.

Well you did ask!!!!

Hurdity x
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Ju Ju on May 17, 2014, 05:19:49 PM
Hurdity, is there anything you don't know? !!!  ;)
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Joyce on May 17, 2014, 05:56:19 PM
Learn something new every day.  :)
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Patientone on May 17, 2014, 06:13:20 PM
Wow, very interesting !

To me, (in U.S.) it looks like the words are long, lol.

Gynecologist is plenty long enough with out adding extra vowels  ;)
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Hurdity on May 18, 2014, 08:41:29 AM
Ju ju - I knew it came from Latin/Greek but then I just looked up the rest.

Patientone - that's another example! It comes from Greek gynaekos = woman. Now that is worth remembering in full!!!!!  ;D

Hurdity x
Title: Re: Just wondering ..
Post by: Patientone on May 18, 2014, 08:37:17 PM

Patientone - that's another example! It comes from Greek gynaekos = woman. Now that is worth remembering in full!!!!!  ;D

Hurdity x

 :thankyou: