Hood and Ship

I have undertaken the task to compare and contrast "hood" and "ship".

• They can both be a verb. To hood means to cover with a hood. To ship means to transport (among other meanings).
• They can both be a noun. A hood can mean a punk, a holding roof, and a headdress. A ship is a vessel that carries passengers or freight.
• They can both be a suffix. Examples for "hood" include "widowhood", "childhood", and "brotherhood." Examples for "ship" include "friendship", "clerkship", "fellowship", and "readership."
• As suffixes, "hood" and "ship" commonly refer to a state, a condition, or a quality.
• As suffixes, "hood" and "ship" can also refer to a group of individuals having something in common. Examples include "brotherhood" and "readership."

From the above discussion, we see that hood and ship are remarkably similar. But they also differ in significant ways.

• As a suffix, "hood" can also refer to a time or a period. "Childhood" is an example of this usage. There is no similar usage for "ship" as a suffix.
• As a suffix, "ship" can refer to an office, dignity, or profession (e.g. "clerkship," "professorship"). Another usage of ship as a suffix is to refer to an art or a skill (e.g. "horsemanship"). There are no similar usages for "hood" as a suffix.

More subtly, when referring to a group of individuals sharing something in common, they have slightly different meanings. The suffix hood refers individuals sharing a specified state or character, whereas the suffix ship refers to individuals participating in a specified activity.
Now that we've explored the similarities and differences between "ship" and "hood," the interested readers among you can explore the possible meanings of "hoodship" and "shiphood." The REALLY interested readers among you can also explore the meanings of {(hood^x)(ship^y) | x,y : Integer > 0} and {(ship^x)(hood^y) | x,y : Integer > 0}.

[References: Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary <m-w.com>, WordNet 2.0 <cogsci.princeton.edu>]

J.Y.