Misogamy is to marriage as misogyny is to which of the following in this word meaning analogy.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Women

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of difficult vocabulary, especially words formed from Greek roots. Misogamy and misogyny are closely related terms, but they refer to dislike or hatred of different things. By understanding the meanings of these words, we can complete the analogy correctly. Such questions are common in higher level verbal ability sections and help distinguish candidates with strong vocabulary skills.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Misogamy : marriage is the first pair.
  • Misogamy means hatred of marriage or intense dislike of the institution of marriage.
  • We are asked to complete Misogyny : ?
  • Options: Husband, Relation, Women, Children.
  • We assume standard dictionary meanings for these Greek derived terms.


Concept / Approach:
Both misogamy and misogyny begin with the prefix miso, which comes from Greek and means hatred of or intense dislike. The rest of the word indicates the target of that dislike. In misogamy, gamos means marriage, as in monogamy or polygamy. In misogyny, gyne refers to women. Therefore, misogyny means hatred of women. The analogy is “word that means hatred of X is to X.” Misogamy is to marriage as misogyny is to women.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break down misogamy into miso plus gamos, giving hatred plus marriage, so the target is marriage. Step 2: Understand that the first pair shows a word and the thing it expresses hatred for. Step 3: Break down misogyny into miso plus gyne, giving hatred plus woman, so the target is women. Step 4: Compare options and find the one that names the target group, which is women. Step 5: Confirm that this gives a consistent relationship: Misogamy : marriage :: Misogyny : women.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by consulting the meanings of similar Greek based words. Monogamy refers to marriage with one partner, polygamy to marriage with several partners, and bigamy to marriage with two partners. These patterns confirm that gamos is related to marriage. Similarly, gynae in terms like gynaecology refers to women, supporting the interpretation of misogyny as hatred of women. Husband, relation and children do not fit this pattern. Also, many exam guides specifically define misogyny as woman hating to help learners remember it.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Husband: Misogyny does not specifically mean hatred of husbands; that would be a much narrower idea.
  • Relation: Too vague and not supported by the Greek root gyne.
  • Children: Would relate to a different root entirely and does not match the established meaning of misogyny.


Common Pitfalls:
Because these words look similar, some students confuse misogamy and misogyny or guess based on partial memory. It is helpful to break them into parts systematically and connect them with other familiar words. Remembering that gamos relates to marriage and gyne to women allows you to decode many such terms instead of memorising each one separately.


Final Answer:
The correct completion is Misogyny : women, so the analogy reads Misogamy : marriage :: Misogyny : women.

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