"existential"

[Laurence Horn]

On Jan 9, 2013, at 7:24 PM, Baker, John wrote:

> These examples all seem to me to be using "existential" as the adjectival form of "existence."  An "existential threat," for example, is a threat to something's existence.
>
>
> John Baker

Wasn't this popularized with respect to Israel, and whether Iranian missiles, or whoever's (Iraq's, under Saddam, maybe?), posed an existential threat to Israel in this sense?

LH
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2013 1:36 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "existential"
>
> Is it my imagination, or has the word "existential" been reduced to a meaningless intensifier in news reports?
>
> Some examples, culled from Google News:
>
> http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100022145/comrade-barroso-the-existential-threat-to-the-euro-is-mass-unemployment/
> (headline) "Comrade Barroso, the existential threat to the euro is mass unemployment"
>
> http://washingtonexaminer.com/barney-frank-terrorism-is-not-an-existential-threat-to-america/article/2517933
> (headline) "Barney Frank: Terrorism is not an ‘existential threat’ to America"
>
> http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-existential-value-of-twitter-other-web-giants-2013-01-08
> (headline) "The existential value of Twitter, other Web giants"
>
> http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-01-03/facebook-profit-shows-existential-risk-for-social-network-tech
> (headline) "Facebook Profit Shows Existential Risk for Social Network"
>
>   - Jim Landau
>
> PS only in New Jersey: a bumper sticker that reads "My Governor Can Eat Your Governor"
>
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