[Ads-l] select, adj. = certain, particular

Fri Jul 24 22:38:58 UTC 2020

Cf.  weird "selected" ('certain; several; some'):

https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?keyword=%22observers+book+of+aircraft%22&mtype=B&hs.x=27&hs.y=31

 "Selected pages show sign of having been damaged by moisture but pryed
apart wih care so that text has not been damaged."

JL

On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 9:47 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> > Isn't 'select' just being used as a synonym for 'some'?
>
> Thanks for your response, Dan. In the two examples I provided I think
> that you could substitute "some" for "select" and the sentences would
> make sense. In the initial post on this thread, JL suggested that
> nowadays "select" sometimes meant "certain, particular".
>
> The question under examination, I think, is whether there has been a
> semantic shift for the word "select". Here are the senses for "select"
> which are currently listed in the OED:
>
> [Begin OED excerpt]
> select, adj. and n.
>
> 1. Selected, chosen out of a larger number, on account of excellence
> or fitness; picked.
> 2. Hence, Choice, of special value or excellence; composed of or
> containing the best, choicest or most desirable; superior.
> a. Of things, material or immaterial.
> b. Of persons, company, etc. Now often: Unexceptionable with regard to
> social standing or estimation.
> 3. Careful in selection. Hence, (of a society or association)
> admitting only persons of a high class, esp. with regard to social
> station; exclusive; (of a place of resort) frequented only by persons
> of good social position.
> B. n.
> a. A selected person or thing.
> b. A selected class or group, a selection.
> [End OED excerpt]
>
> The OED senses all indicate that there should be an entity or entities
> performing a selection process. Also, the selection process should
> usually (but not always) favor excellence or fitness.
>
> Sense 2 b states: "Now often: Unexceptionable with regard to social
> standing or estimation." Thus, selected items are not always the best.
>
> In the examples given by Nancy Friedman, the select items have been
> selected by a human or corporate entity. The items are fit to be sold
> at a discount. This use of "select" seems to be ok according to the
> OED senses.
>
> In JL's example and in my two examples there is no real selection
> process. In addition, the selected items do not display excellence or
> fitness.
>
> Admittedly, one might say God performed a selection regarding the
> fourth wave of influenza infection as suggested by LH, but that
> interpretation is a stretch.
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 8:29 PM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Isn't 'select' just being used as a synonym for 'some'?
> >
> > On Sun, Apr 26, 2020, 5:10 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > The following citation uses the phrase "select regions".
> > > The regions are not really being selected in a traditional sense.
> > > The connotation is negative not positive.
> > >
> > > Year: 2001
> > > Title: Distributed Generation: The Power Paradigm for the New
> Millennium
> > > Editors: Anne-Marie Borbely, Jan F. Kreider
> > > Publisher; CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida
> > > Quote Page 9
> > > Google Books Preview
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Although National Electric Reliability Council (NERC) reliability
> > > studies show adequate transmission and generation capacity to maintain
> > > reliability through 2002, regional disturbances caused by insufficient
> > > transfer capability have already occurred in select regions (e.g.,
> > > Midwest, Northeast, and California).
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > The following citation also uses the phrase "select regions".
> > > The regions are selected, but only in a weak retroactive sense.
> > > The connotation is negative not positive.
> > >
> > > Title: AT&T blames slow iPhone 4 uploads on Alcatel-Lucent
> > > Author: Marguerite Reardon
> > > Timestamp: July 7, 2010 11:16 a.m. PT
> > >
> > >
> https://www.cnet.com/news/at-t-blames-slow-iphone-4-uploads-on-alcatel-lucent/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > AT&T doesn't use Alcatel-Lucent gear in every part of its network,
> > > which explains why the problem only occurred in select regions of the
> > > country, such as, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Salt Lake
> > > City, and Seattle.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 11:07 AM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu
> >
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Well, as the proverb has it, "Man infects, God selects".
> > > >
> > > > LH
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 10:13 AM Jonathan Lighter <
> > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Very true, Nancy.  But in cases like that, somebody, after at least
> > > > > minimal consideration, has decided just which items will be
> discounted
> > > or
> > > > > whatever.
> > > > >
> > > > > No human considers and then chooses which regions will experience
> an
> > > > > epidemic.
> > > > >
> > > > > Yet.
> > > > >
> > > > > JL
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sat, Apr 25, 2020 at 7:51 PM Nancy Friedman <
> wordworking at gmail.com>
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > It's been used this way ( = "selected") in retail for many years.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Save on select paint"
> > > > > > https://www.lowes.com/pl/Save-on-select-paint/1255139939
> > > > > > "Price reductions on select Azure services"
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-offers-price-reductions-on-select-azure-services/
> > > > > > "Free shipping on select items"
> > > https://www.michaels.com/shipsforfree
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Discussion from 2012:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/57905/is-there-a-difference-between-select-and-selected/144716
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nancy Friedman
> > > > > > Chief Wordworker
> > > > > > www.wordworking.com
> > > > > > http://nancyfriedman.typepad.com
> > > > > > tel 510 652-4159
> > > > > > cel 510 304-3953
> > > > > > twitter/instagram  Fritinancy
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Sat, Apr 25, 2020 at 4:42 PM Jonathan Lighter <
> > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> > > > > >
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > USA Today
> > > > > > >
> > > https://news.yahoo.com/fact-check-second-wave-spanish-151154154.html :
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > "These waves [of influenza] started in March 1918 and ended in
> the
> > > > > summer
> > > > > > > 1919, according to the CDC. Some believe a fourth wave
> happened in
> > > > > select
> > > > > > > regions in 1920."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I've seen this usage before in the past year or two, but
> thought
> > > it too
> > > > > > > dumb to report.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Jon's Law  "No semantic novelty is too dumb to report."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > JL
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't
> handle the
> > > > > > truth."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > truth."
> > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org