Talk:ἴσος

How is the greek "isos" difference from "homos"? As in, for the etymology of isomorphism/homomorphism (and homeomorphism), what is the root distinction? 124.168.199.233 06:33, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

ἴσος means "equal", while ὁμός means "same". The differences between the words are rather what their translations are in English. Everything which is the same is equal, but everything which is equal isn't necessarily the same. All men are created equal, but they're certainly not the same. Truth be told, I think that isomorphism (the biological sense) makes more sense etymologically, as unrelated animals aren't the same, even if they have some equivalent characteristics. Fortunately, "isomorphism" is far more common than "homomorphism", so my etymological concerns don't often irritate me. Hope that helps. Any further questions or clarifications, or if I completely missed the point of your question, just ask. -Atelaes λάλει ἐμοί 13:15, 17 May 2010 (UTC)