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

Mon Apr 27 01:47:11 UTC 2020

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

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