Andy's Wordshop

The question this week is: How many meanings does the word "faculty" really have? The answer is 17, but these meanings can be put into three groups with one idea each. The first is faculty like capability or aptitude. We have mental and physical faculties, like the faculty of reason (rational thought) or the faculty of vision (sight). If we're in possession of our faculties, we can think and act normally.
The second is faculty like part of a university, and there's a difference between British and American English here. In BrE, faculty means the same as in Slovak, an organizational division responsible for teaching a group of related subjects, whereas in AmE, faculty means the teaching staff, the professors and lecturers working at the university. The third meaning of faculty is like license, special permission to do something, but this is not commonly used any more.
Please send questions about English language habits to ocelvychodu@sk.uss.com, and I will choose one to answer each week. AB

Tricky Words in this week's OVI

Consultant. This word is tricky in two ways, one because of English and the other because of Slovak. In English, words ending in - ant normally mean people who are involved in doing something actively. An applicant is someone who is applying for something (-ing means an active process going on), and an attendant is someone who waits on (serves) other people.
But consultants do not do any consulting in English; they are the ones who are consulted about something, and because they know about it, they are able to give advice or do something for the person who asks them. A hospital consultant is a high-ranking, experienced doctor, an expert whose help other people seek. In Slovak, "konzultujem niečo u niekoho", but in English I consult SOMEBODY about something, so I go and ask SOMEBODY for help or advice about something. Companies hire management consultants to find out how to run their business more efficiently and profitably.