decimate

[George Thompson]

When Thoreau said that lexicographers lead lives of quiet deploration, he had it about right.

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 11:44 am
Subject: Re: decimate
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

> 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

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