English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
LEXICAL ITEMS
He seems a ~fetish~ person (nonstandard).
He seems a *fetishistic* person (standard).
Being fetishistic means worshipping an object that is believed to have a spirit or special magical powers. On the other hand, “fetish” can be used as a noun for the same meaning. Fetish is an object that is worshipped in some societies because it is believed to have a spirit or special magical powers:
If stone is *a fetish* to them, don’t condemn their god if you don’t want them to condemn yours. ✅
She claims she’s got some ~occultic~ powers (nonstandard).
She claims she’s got some *occult* powers (standard).
Occult means something relating to magical powers and activities, such as those of witchcraft and astrology. The word is both a noun and an adjective. “Occultic” is nonexistent in English.
Dr GAB
