Question:

[bironic]

If xeno- means alien, and zoo- means animal, then would the study of the psychology of alien animals be xenozoopsychology, or -- since I can't find a field that uses both prefixes -- does the xeno- get used alone, perhaps because we don't know what's an alien-person and what's an alien-beast?

Comments

[euclase]

Are you certain the wording you want isn't 'fan studies'? Because that might take care of everything. ;)

(Yeah, I would say just 'xenopsychology,' since zoopsychology can also refer to humans)

[bironic]

LOL, nice! I have to remember that one. No, this one's for use in a story, and I'll probably go with just xeno-, even though, as purridot pointed out, the longer one is more fun.

[purridot]

Hmm. I see what you mean about wanting to be politically correct... I suppose xenopsychology is really more accurate, but I confess the longer word looks like more fun ;-)

[bironic]

I agree! Will probably go without the middle, though. Alas.

[topaz_eyes]

If xeno- means alien, and zoo- means animal, then would the study of the psychology of alien animals be xenozoopsychology

Sure, why not? If the word psychoneuroimmunology exists, surely xenozoopsychology can. Or maybe xenopsychozoology. Or psychoxenozoology. (I'm fond of xenopsychozoology, because that sounds like the order you want.)

[bironic]

Well, zoopsychology is the study of animal psychology, so I thought the xeno- would get tacked on the beginning. But a Google search doesn't turn up any results for "xenozoo-" anything, so I wonder whether it's a legitimate construction (or whether there just haven't been opportunities to specialize like that, whereas there would be in SGA, in which this word is meant to be used).

[celebriangel]

Perhaps the more important question is: What are you writing that requires this word?

*curious*

See, to me 'xenopsychology' in the SGA universe would mean, like, wraith psychology or something. You know, (human-like) alien psychology rather than animal psychology. But, you know, animal psychology is legit way of saying zoopsychology, so you could go with 'animal xenopsychology'.

[bironic]

It's for the second story in my poll the other day. *g*

like, wraith psychology or something

I was thinking that too. Breaking the term into two words might do the trick, although I might like the "alien zoopsychology" order more. Hmmmm.