I always thought that trotskyite was short for trotskyite fascist, a term used by stalinists. I agree with Gurrier that the Trots and the Stalinists drink from the same spring, but personally I wouldn't use the phrase trotskyite because I generally think that that sectaranism creates a atmosphere which is hostile to political discussion (and we need discussion if politics is to develop).
but if you want to annoy 'em, trotskyite is the one to use.
As for marxist and marxian; asfaik a marxist is someone who either follows Marx or places themself with the marxist tradition; a marxian is someone who likes some of what marx wrote, but doesn't like the idea of identifying with one person, ie, wants to signal that they don't take all of marx's ideas on board. (but I could be wrong here).
edited to add: from Wikipedia, looks like I was half right;
"The adherents of Marxian economics, particularly in academia, distinguish it from Marxism as a political ideology, arguing that Marx's approach to understanding the economy is an intellectually valuable one, independent of Marx's advocacy for revolutionary socialism or the inevitability of proletarian revolution. It does not lean entirely upon the work of Marx and other widely known Marxists (Lenin, Trotsky, etc.), but may draw from a range of Marxist and non-Marxist sources. His work is seen as the basis for a viable analytic framework and an alternative to more conventional neo-classical economics. For others, the distinction between "Marxist" and "Marxian" is totally academic."
Only lonely idiots have them.
It tells you all you need to know.
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