Skip to comments.
Regarding the Incorrect Use of 'Decimate'
Merriam-Webster ^
| unknown
| Word History
Posted on 11/16/2019 6:32:42 AM PST by Moonman62
click here to read article
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 last
To: raccoonradio
More than one spouse is spice...
61
posted on
11/16/2019 8:15:07 AM PST
by
null and void
(Convicted spies are shot, traitors are hanged, saboteurs are subject to summary execution...)
To: Moonman62
Until the likely civil war.
62
posted on
11/16/2019 8:30:16 AM PST
by
MrEdd
(Caveat Emptors)
To: Moonman62
First definition of decimate from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: "[usually passive] decimate something to kill large numbers of animals, plants or people in a particular area"
Cambridge Dictionary, First definition: "decimate verb [ T ] "to destroy large numbers of people, animals, or other creatures, or to harm something severely"
My American dictionaries (Webster New International Dictionary, Random House Webster's College Dictionary) give similar definitions.
63
posted on
11/16/2019 8:38:00 AM PST
by
Hiddigeigei
("Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish," said Dionysus - Euripides)
To: mjp
A word is just a symbol for a concept. The same word can be used to symbolize several different concepts that are still somewhat similar in meaning. The enormous flaw in that argument is that words are meant to communicate specific meanings. While a word may convey many concepts, as you say, the meanings will be different for others who maintain a different "concept" of the word. That leads to linguistic chaos. While language and word meanings do change over time, the essential factor is that a majority must agree on meanings or language becomes useless as a means of communicating ideas.
To: Moonman62
We no longer think of sinister as meaning on the left side, even though that was one of the words meanings when it existed in Latin. That's actually very appropriate today.
65
posted on
11/16/2019 9:23:33 AM PST
by
MileHi
(Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
To: Bernard Marx
I cannot agree with you. Which of the 430 meanings of the word set listed in the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is the correct one?
To: Paladin2
67
posted on
11/16/2019 9:58:51 AM PST
by
VMI70
To: Moonman62
Meanings of words change. No one thinks of “ten” when they say “decimate.”
68
posted on
11/16/2019 10:14:18 AM PST
by
I want the USA back
(The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. Orwell.)
To: Moonman62
I couldn’t agree more but I suspect that we’re both peeing into the breeze. The price of sloppy usage is imprecision - if we actually were going to try to communicate pulling every tenth soldier out of the ranks and snuffing him, we’d have to use other words. That we’re unlikely to have to do that except in historical discourse is some comfort if you happen to be a soldier, I suppose. I want a word that describes killing nine out of ten politicians. Because the way things are going, we may need one.
To: Moonman62
Poor employment of language with the misuse of words like "decimate" and "sinister" only encourages Leftist intellectual laziness.
The Left wants Newspeak. If people do not have the vocabulary, perhaps their thought can be controlled as well.
I've got a cure for Leftism using 1984 as a guide, but they won't like it...
70
posted on
11/16/2019 10:41:11 AM PST
by
jonascord
(First rule of the Dunning-Kruger Club is that you do not know you are in the Dunning-Kruger club.)
To: Purdue77
Aren’t there biblical references to the left side bad and the right side good?
71
posted on
11/16/2019 11:24:28 AM PST
by
FroggyTheGremlim
( Ha! Ha! Ha! Hiya kids, Hiya, Hiya)
To: FroggyTheGremlim
“Arent there biblical references to the left side bad and the right side good?”
At least one.
72
posted on
11/16/2019 11:51:58 AM PST
by
dsc
(Our system of government cannot survive one-party control of communications.)
To: SoCal Pubbie
I think context goes a long way toward defining the specificity of a given word usage. I haven't looked up all 430 definitions of "set" in the OEM but, in context, I suspect the varied meanings become clear. To use your example a trapper friend "sets" traps (verb). But once in place they're called "sets" (noun).
To: Bernard Marx
Not all of those meanings could have arisen at the same time. So I cant buy your idea that meanings cant change or its chaos. Thats one of the beauties of the English language. It can be vague or precise of something in between.
To: SoCal Pubbie
That's not what I said. Meanings do change over time. As I posted earlier:
"While language and word meanings do change over time, the essential factor is that a majority must agree on meanings or language becomes useless as a means of communicating ideas."
I don't want to live in a Humpty-Dumpty world where, as he said, "When I use a word,it means just what I choose it to mean neither more nor less."
To: Moonman62
LOL!
Virtually.
Literally. ...more words to abuse.
76
posted on
11/16/2019 1:31:04 PM PST
by
right way right
(May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our only true hope.)
To: Bernard Marx
I see. My mistake. Still, theres always the case when a word or phrase is used in a new way for the first time. Shakespeare was famous for that.
To: Moonman62
OMG. This is one of my husbands greatest pet peeves.
In his case, it seems to be mostly because of his affection for Roman history, so he is all too aware of what it was supposed to mean.
78
posted on
11/16/2019 5:13:36 PM PST
by
the OlLine Rebel
(Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
To: Texas Eagle
79
posted on
11/16/2019 5:24:32 PM PST
by
the OlLine Rebel
(Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
To: Moonman62
When a person uses a tricky word such as when, a, person, use, tricky, or word, all of which have multiple meanings, we use context to understand the speakers intent.
The problem with this is that words such as 'decimate' are being misused in a way that context is useless in determining meaning. To decimate something, how do I tell the difference between one-tenth versus a bunch? The only context that will tell is by literally telling you.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson