Pedants' Paradise

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  • oliver sudden
    Full Member
    • Feb 2024
    • 645

    …although in Welsh ff is the only way to get an f sound, as for example in ffliwt, which is definitely my favourite word for flute in any of the not many languages with which I’m vaguely acquainted.

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    • LMcD
      Full Member
      • Sep 2017
      • 8638

      I'm reading a large-print version of a novel, the title page of which assures me that it is 'complete and unabridged'.

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      • oddoneout
        Full Member
        • Nov 2015
        • 9272

        Originally posted by LMcD View Post
        I'm reading a large-print version of a novel, the title page of which assures me that it is 'complete and unabridged'.
        A phrase that's been around for a very long time. I used to wonder if unabridged was used to mean "as written" ie not bowdlerised/censored, and looking it up now see now that that is listed in some references as one of the senses in which it can be used. Still seems rather unnecessary to use both words though.

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        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 30456

          Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
          I used to wonder if unabridged was used to mean "as written" ie not bowdlerised/censored, and looking it up now see now that that is listed in some references as one of the senses in which it can be used. Still seems rather unnecessary to use both words though
          Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.
          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

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          • LMcD
            Full Member
            • Sep 2017
            • 8638

            Originally posted by french frank View Post

            Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.
            On this occasion, A Bridge Too Far?

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            • gurnemanz
              Full Member
              • Nov 2010
              • 7405

              Originally posted by french frank View Post

              Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.
              That had not occurred to me. Checked my Chambers Etymology which points to a parallel v to g shift where Latin diluvium becomes Old French déluge.

              Wiki calls these pairs doublets' which have "different phonological forms but the same etymological root". There are many examples. They mention eg overture/aperture, frail /fragile.

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              • french frank
                Administrator/Moderator
                • Feb 2007
                • 30456

                Originally posted by LMcD View Post

                On this occasion, A Bridge Too Far?
                It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                Comment

                • french frank
                  Administrator/Moderator
                  • Feb 2007
                  • 30456

                  Have just spent 15 minutes assembling links and videos to explain to the BBC that the police chief in the Dutch hostage story, Anne Jan Oosterheert​, is a man, and not to be referred to as Ms Oosterheert​ or 'she'. They usually change things but they must sigh when they see another email from me

                  Job done. And never a word of thanks!
                  Last edited by french frank; 30-03-24, 20:48.
                  It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                  Comment

                  • smittims
                    Full Member
                    • Aug 2022
                    • 4332

                    I once had to deal with a man named 'Holtom' (sic). As this is a rare surname most people called him 'Halton', especially when hearing it over the telephone. Unfortunately he showed no tolerance for this understandable error and got extremely shirty with anyone who made the mistake, reprimanding them at length.

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                    • Padraig
                      Full Member
                      • Feb 2013
                      • 4250

                      Originally posted by french frank

                      Job done[/URL
                      . And never a word of thanks!
                      Never mind, f f. We can see you've got the high ground.

                      Comment

                      • LMcD
                        Full Member
                        • Sep 2017
                        • 8638

                        Possibly misleading headline on the BBC News website: 'Biden says Netanyahu making mistake as he calls for ceasefire'.

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                        • Roger Webb
                          Full Member
                          • Feb 2024
                          • 753

                          Originally posted by smittims View Post
                          I once had to deal with a man named 'Holtom' (sic). As this is a rare surname most people called him 'Halton', especially when hearing it over the telephone. Unfortunately he showed no tolerance for this understandable error and got extremely shirty with anyone who made the mistake, reprimanding them at length.
                          One of the counter staff at our local DHSS office had the moniker Mr Excrete.

                          Comment

                          • french frank
                            Administrator/Moderator
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 30456

                            Interesting to learn how usage overtakes one's personal experience. I read on the BBC news website: 'the city's Manhattan borough, comprised predominately of Democrats'. Misspelling! It's 'predominantly'. Yes it is, but people write 'predominately' so often that it has passed into the dictionaries of English usage. I suppose it starts as a mishearing, plus a lack of grammatical knowledge: adj + ly gives the adverb (intelligent, intelligently; predominant, predominantly), whereas predominate is a verb ...

                            Oh, except that an adjective predominate has existed since at least 1591, side by side with predominant (earliest example 1575). Well, all I can say is it shouldn't have existed since 1591 . OED says it comes from praedominatus ("predominated") but praedominatus isn't actually an adjective, is it? It's a participle.

                            What next?
                            It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                            Comment

                            • Roger Webb
                              Full Member
                              • Feb 2024
                              • 753

                              We read on CD track listings so often 'Alternate takes' or 'Alternate mix' I'm tempted to play those tracks every other time I play the disc....or is there an alternative?

                              Comment

                              • Padraig
                                Full Member
                                • Feb 2013
                                • 4250

                                Originally posted by french frank View Post
                                Interesting to learn how usage overtakes one's personal experience. I read on the BBC news website: 'the city's Manhattan borough, comprised predominately of Democrats'. Misspelling! It's 'predominantly'. Yes it is, but people write 'predominately' so often that it has passed into the dictionaries of English usage. I suppose it starts as a mishearing, plus a lack of grammatical knowledge: adj + ly gives the adverb (intelligent, intelligently; predominant, predominantly), whereas predominate is a verb ...

                                Oh, except that an adjective predominate has existed since at least 1591, side by side with predominant (earliest example 1575). Well, all I can say is it shouldn't have existed since 1591 . OED says it comes from praedominatus ("predominated") but praedominatus isn't actually an adjective, is it? It's a participle.

                                What next?
                                It's all about 'Free Speech', Isn't it f f? If usage is now a valid reason for change, then next step is to consolidate opening up gramar and speling to similiar acceptibility. Ness pa?

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