More language change on the fly (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Maybe "relented" grew out of "related"?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Laurence Horn
> Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2007 8:15 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: More language change on the fly
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: More language change on the fly
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> At 7:55 PM -0400 8/26/07, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:
> >>From espn.com's wrap of today's Boston Red Sox game:
> >>
> >>Manny Ramirez didn't start for the Red Sox. Manager Terry Francona
> >>said it was just a day off but relented that Ramirez had
> been bothered
> >>by a sore back.
> >>
> >>I don't see this use of "relent" (= 'concede'?) in the OED
> and AHD entries...
> >
> >Aiming for "recanted", maybe? And/or "retracted"?
> >
> >-- Doug Wilson
> >
> Even if so, those verbs don't normally take
> _that_-complements for me either.  As it turns out, there are
> "about 2,260" google hits for "relented that", with the
> report of Francona appearing in the #3 slot.  Many, indeed
> probably most, of the 2260 are irrelevant, but at a quick
> glance a bunch are of the "right" type.  Examples:
>
> And then when it [pregnancy test] got darker and clearer, I
> relented that it was positive with an out-loud exclamation of
> "Holy Crap."
>
> As the young man's yearnings increased, the affection of his
> pets and other animals in his garden became insufficient to
> satisfy his spirit, so God relented that His man should no
> longer be alone. [from a retelling of Genesis]
>
> and my favorite, from a restaurant review of Cafe Soriah in
> Eugene, Oregon:
>
> Truly one of Eugene's finest restaurants. I once got into an
> argument over which was the finer restaurant, Cafe Soriah or
> Chef's Kitchen.
> After some bickering he relented that Soriah's strength was
> their tenderloin and I relented that Chef's Kitchen's
> strength was their sauces.
>
> [This is the beginning of the review; "he", the not otherwise
> identified fellow relenter, is evidently the reviewer's arguee.]   I
> think "conceded" is as close as we can get here, or perhaps
> "reluctantly granted/agreed".
>
> LH
>
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>
Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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