random linguisticky question:

[fox]

why are practicioners of (or students in) some fields ending in -ology described as whatever-ologists, while others are described as whatever-ologians?  (in fact, besides 'theologian', are there other -logians?  i can't think of any off the top of my head ...)

Comments

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I posed this question to the spouse, and these are the conclusions we came to.

1. If you ever wanted to insult an anthropologist, you could do it by calling her an anthropologian.

2. By the same logic, practitioners of so-called Creation Science are biologians.

3. Why aren't theologians called theologists? The spouse answers with this joke:

A dog goes to the telegraph office, takes a form, and writes:

Arf arf arf
Arf arf arf
Arf arf arf

The clerk says, "It's a flat rate for ten words or less, so you could add another 'arf.' "

The dog says, "But that would be silly."

[osymandias.livejournal.com]

That is a truly excellent joke.

Erm... I have no answer to the question actually posed.