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

Tue Jul 28 20:48:52 UTC 2020

I agree JL's example is weird.

Looking at the list of OED definitions from GOT, 2a ("material or
immaterial") would seem to allow "select" to mean whatever I want it to
mean...
DanG

On Fri, Jul 24, 2020 at 6:39 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Cf.  weird "selected" ('certain; several; some'):
>
>
>
> https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?keyword=%22observers+book+of+aircraft%22&mtype=B&hs.x=27&hs.y=31
>
>  "Selected pages show sign of having been damaged by moisture but pryed
> apart wih care so that text has not been damaged."
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 9:47 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 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
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > 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
>

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