Why autotropism?
What is autotropism?
It is a neologism formed by the contraction of "auto" and "tropism." Relevant definitions follow:
auto |ˈôtō|
noun ( pl. -tos) [usu. as modifier ] informal
an automobile : the auto industry.
tropism |ˈtrōˌpizəm|
noun Biology
the turning of all or part of an organism in a particular direction in response to an external stimulus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I'd suggest that there's another layer of meaning to the "auto-" prefix, since it can also mean "self" (autobiography, etc)
ReplyDeleteAnd in yet another layer of meaning, "auto–" (as in automatic) can reinforce the "tropism" in the sense that our attractions and reflexes towards cars is without conscious act…
ReplyDelete