decimate

[Jonathan Lighter]

Let's get this straight one more time:

Language changes: fact. Can't stop change: fact. Gotta love every change:
fiction. By reporting what seems interesting, odd, or even regrettable I am
making rules for others to follow: absurd fiction.

I couldn't [sic] care less if "beer" began to mean "alcoholic beverage"
right this minute, except insofar as it would make communicating that much
more difficult. When today's adults ask for beer, we don't expect vodka or
tequila or champagne. Clarifying that expectation would be one
more unwelcome annoyance for us. In other words, a bad thing. But it might
not be a problem for advanced speakers of Inglish in, say, the 22nd century
with their goldfish-bowl hats and 300-year life expectancies.

Lighten up.

JL

On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Steve Kl. <stevekl at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Steve Kl." <stevekl at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: decimate
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> If *beer* were to broaden to *alcoholic beverage*, so what? You make it
> sound like that's a bad thing.
>
> Throughout the centuries the semantic range of some words have broadened,
> others have narrowed.
>
> If it broadens, lexicographers will take note and revise the definition.
> That's what we do.
>
> Language changes. If it didn't, most of us here wouldn't have jobs.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 11:05 AM, Jonathan Lighter
> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: decimate
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Yeah, but as a lexicographer I can tell you that "great destruction or
> > harm"
> > isn't the same as "annihilation." The latter subsumes the former but not
> > vice versa.
> >
> > It's easy to see how the def. could easily broaden, but "could" isn't the
> > same as "has."  "Coke" broadened to "soft drink," but "beer" has not
> > broadened to "alcoholic beverage." Could though. In tomorrow's Inglish.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 10:57 AM, David A. Daniel <dad at pokerwiz.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: decimate
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > MW likes it OK : 3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number
> > <cholera
> > > decimated the population> b : to cause great destruction or harm to
> > > <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>
> > >
> > > I've said it before and I'll say it again: if one thinks to decimate
> can
> > > only mean one tenth, then one must think that to orient (or orientate)
> > can
> > > only mean showing which way is east. (And other such logical truths.)
> > > DAD
> > >
> > >
> > > If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf
> > > Of
> > > Joel S. Berson
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 10:51 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: decimate
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > At 7/21/2010 09:09 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > >Now it's moved all the way to "annihilate; wipe out":
> > > >
> > > >2008 Herman J. Viola _Warriors in Uniform_ (Washington, D.C.: National
> > > >Geographic) 52: The decimation at the Little Big Horn could have been
> > > >averted had Custer heeded the advice of his Crow scouts.
> > >
> > > This seems particularly egregious when "annihilation" is readily
> > > available, and correct.
> > >
> > > Joel
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3019 - Release Date:
> 07/21/10
> > > 03:36:00
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >  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
>



--
"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