FROM THE GREEK
Sns,—I was amused to read Janues note on " allergy" in your issue of October 31st. One point of interest he did not mention is its spelling.
∎ Its derivation is from the two Greek words /IAA° (allo) and 4pyov (ergon), although how it came to get its present meaning from these words is a process I would not care to unravel! Now dAAo and 4pyov, by crasis, become (1AAorpyov (allourgon). Should not "allurgy" therefore be spelt with a "u " rather than an " e " ? In support of this contention I might point out that another English word—" metallurgy " has a similar derivation. Perhaps the next edition of the Oxford Dictionary will include " allurgy," and I hope at the same time it will set aright this little matter of its orthography.—Yours sincerely,
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