latin - Podiatrist vs. pedometer vs. pedophile?


I was just discussing oddities of English with a friend, and I realized something that neither of us could explain.



  • A podiatrist is a foot doctor.

  • A podium is something you stand behind when giving a speech

  • A pedometer is a device which counts your steps.

  • A pedophile is someone with a sexual interest in children.


So what the heck? Apparently pod and ped are Latin and Greek respectively roots for "foot", so that I get. But then apparently pedo is Greek and is "a combining form meaning “child,” used in the formation of compound words". So uh, huh?? I mean, why isn't a pedometer a device for measuring children and a pedophile someone with a foot fetish...?




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