Made-up word earns a ribbing

Regarding Nov. 19’s “At the Heart of Yoga Is -- Well, the Heart,” a note to Shiva Rea: The Greek word “acropolis” doesn’t signify a temple.

The word combines “akros” (highest, topmost) with “polis” (city, community), and simply means the upper city, the high part of the city. So her “ribopolis” would be a rib-city, not a rib-temple.

“Polus” (spelled with a “u”) is another word -- “much” or “many” -- so if the spelling were “ribopolus” (as The Times printed it), what she would have is rib-much.

Not what she’s after.

Ellen Quandahl

Irvine

The writer is an associate professor in the department of rhetoric and writing studies at San Diego State University.