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psephology
Nov. 5th, 2012 07:25 ampsephology (see-FOL-uh-jee) - n., the study of elections.
Or more fully, the branch of political science that deals with the study and scientific analysis of elections, polls, and associated impedimenta. Coined in 1952 by R. B. McCallum (a Master at Pembroke College, Oxford, lecturing in Modern History, and a minor member of the Inklings) from Greek psêphos, pebble + -ology -- pebble because that's one the ancient Greeks cast a vote, by putting a pebble in the urn representing the choice they were voting for (this was used criminal trials as well as elections). Incidentally, our word ballot comes from a similar practice: Italian ballotta is a small ball.
---L.
Or more fully, the branch of political science that deals with the study and scientific analysis of elections, polls, and associated impedimenta. Coined in 1952 by R. B. McCallum (a Master at Pembroke College, Oxford, lecturing in Modern History, and a minor member of the Inklings) from Greek psêphos, pebble + -ology -- pebble because that's one the ancient Greeks cast a vote, by putting a pebble in the urn representing the choice they were voting for (this was used criminal trials as well as elections). Incidentally, our word ballot comes from a similar practice: Italian ballotta is a small ball.
---L.
