Ah, yet another writer who doesn't know the meaning of "Decimate!"


afocks

 

Posted

Decimate: A Roman punishment for cowardice in the legions. Every tenth man in the unit of the man who showed cowardice was killed.

Thus, Decimate means "To reduce by 1/10th" - I'm pretty sure that I'd want to do far more than THAT to my enemies, titan weapons or not!

The word the writer is seeking for is "Devastate" - I blame the hordes of uneducated news reporters who have confused the two for decades...


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Posted

Nope.


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Posted

Hmmmm....

Deci - prefix, a defining form meaning "tenth" ie- deciliter would indicate ten liters

Mate - verb, to bring together for breeding purposes

...

......

.........

And they used this to advertise Titan Weapons? Wow... Freudian...


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf View Post
Decimate: A Roman punishment for cowardice in the legions. Every tenth man in the unit of the man who showed cowardice was killed.
I think the last time anyone actually cared about using it in that manner was in ancient Rome

Ok, so Zwill's link says it was first used in 1660 but you get the jist.


 

Posted

The definition you're referring to is practically obsolete in modern English. Words evolve over time.


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Posted

Didn't the word awful used to mean awesome once? I'm sure I read somewhere that it used to mean something that filled people with awe.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
Didn't the word awful used to mean awesome once? I'm sure I read somewhere that it used to mean something that filled people with awe.
Well, phrases like 'awfully exciting' etc. Otherwise that'd seem a bit wierd, yeah.

And hey, OP, gimme my bilious sarcasm back! That's MY schtick! ¬¬


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelclaw View Post
Hmmmm....

Deci - prefix, a defining form meaning "tenth" ie- deciliter would indicate ten liters

Mate - verb, to bring together for breeding purposes

...

......

.........

And they used this to advertise Titan Weapons? Wow... Freudian...
WTH? I have to mate with every 10th man?!?!? I'm not that kinda guy...

hmmm

But. then again, they /ARE/ Romans, right?

hmmm


Cal


 

Posted

American Heritage usage note:

Quote:
Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. Today this meaning is commonly extended to include the killing of any large proportion of a group. Sixty-six percent of the Usage Panel accepts this extension in the sentence The Jewish population of Germany was decimated by the war, even though it is common knowledge that the number of Jews killed was much greater than a tenth of the original population. However, when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage.
One out three experts still object to the broader meaning of "a large portion." And I'm sure the majority would object to its usage to mean "all were killed" as it was used here on the boards, unless you meant that using Titan Weapons would leave some of your foes unscathed?


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
One out three experts still object to the broader meaning of "a large portion." And I'm sure the majority would object to its usage to mean "all were killed" as it was used here on the boards, unless you meant that using Titan Weapons would leave some of your foes unscathed?
Well, there is a cap on the AoE.


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Posted

Just because "ain't" is in the dictionary doesn't mean I accept that, either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
Didn't the word awful used to mean awesome once? I'm sure I read somewhere that it used to mean something that filled people with awe.
Yes - an example is that upon completion of St. Paul's Cathedral, it was originally described as "awful" and "artificial" meaning, "full of awe" and "a creation of art". They've evolved drastically over time.

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie Man View Post
One out three experts still object to the broader meaning of "a large portion."
When it's one out of ten, we can decimate them and it'll be problem solved.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oliin View Post
Wait ... why do I need facebook integration on an online dictionary page? Its presence confuses me.
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Posted

Quote:
Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. Today this meaning is commonly extended to include the killing of any large proportion of a group. Sixty-six percent of the Usage Panel accepts this extension in the sentence The Jewish population of Germany was decimated by the war, even though it is common knowledge that the number of Jews killed was much greater than a tenth of the original population. However, when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage.
If we decimate the dissenters those numbers'd be 76% and 36%.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf View Post
Decimate: A Roman punishment for cowardice in the legions. Every tenth man in the unit of the man who showed cowardice was killed.

Thus, Decimate means "To reduce by 1/10th" - I'm pretty sure that I'd want to do far more than THAT to my enemies, titan weapons or not!

The word the writer is seeking for is "Devastate" - I blame the hordes of uneducated news reporters who have confused the two for decades...
Funny thing about words. They can have multiple meanings:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/decimate

decimate [des-uh-meyt]  
Example Sentences Origin
dec·i·mate   [des-uh-meyt] Show IPA
verb (used with object), -mat·ed, -mat·ing.
1. to destroy a great number or proportion of: The population was decimated by a plague.
2.to select by lot and kill every tenth person of.
3.Obsolete . to take a tenth of or from.




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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark_Respite View Post
Just because "ain't" is in the dictionary doesn't mean I accept that, either.



Yes - an example is that upon completion of St. Paul's Cathedral, it was originally described as "awful" and "artificial" meaning, "full of awe" and "a creation of art". They've evolved drastically over time.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
Hmm... "awful" and "artificial" relating to a house of worship...

What is it that my brain wishes me to type about that...


@Zethustra
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and round up everyone that knows more than they do"
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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark_Respite View Post
Just because "ain't" is in the dictionary doesn't mean I accept that, either.
No, but when we're talking common usage vs a nearly completely obsolete one, I'd say it's kinda silly not to accept it.




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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Electric-Knight View Post
Serious question: Has the English language been decimated?
No, it's still expanding. Latest studies show that not only is it expanding, but the rate of expansion is actually accelerating. Some linguists have suggested a hypothetical force called 'Dark Etymology' to account for this phenomenon.


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Posted

Every time you use the ability on an enemy, 1/10 of their friends die.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf View Post
Decimate: A Roman punishment for cowardice in the legions. Every tenth man in the unit of the man who showed cowardice was killed.

Thus, Decimate means "To reduce by 1/10th" - I'm pretty sure that I'd want to do far more than THAT to my enemies, titan weapons or not!
I can't tell. Are you serious?

Edit: Just in case...

Dictionary.com
verb (used with object), -mat·ed, -mat·ing. 1. to destroy a great number or proportion of: The population was decimated by a plague.
2. to select by lot and kill every tenth person of.
3. Obsolete . to take a tenth of or from.

Merriam-Webster
1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from <poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden>
3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population>
3b : to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>

The Free (online) Dictionary
dec·i·mate (ds-mt)tr.v. dec·i·mat·ed, dec·i·mat·ing, dec·i·mates
1. To destroy or kill a large part of (a group).
2. Usage Problem
a. To inflict great destruction or damage on: The fawns decimated my rose bushes.
b. To reduce markedly in amount: a profligate heir who decimated his trust fund.
3. To select by lot and kill one in every ten of.

Quote:
Usage Note: Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. Today this meaning is commonly extended to include the killing of any large proportion of a group. Sixty-six percent of the Usage Panel accepts this extension in the sentence The Jewish population of Germany was decimated by the war, even though it is common knowledge that the number of Jews killed was much greater than a tenth of the original population. However, when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage.
This isn't just something "that's in the dictionary". I'd say that the alternates are well accepted, and the OP's use is frequently denoted as obsolete. Contrast that with "ain't", which is usually denoted as informal or slang.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Morbid View Post
No, it's still expanding. Latest studies show that not only is it expanding, but the rate of expansion is actually accelerating. Some linguists have suggested a hypothetical force called 'Dark Etymology' to account for this phenomenon.


I am worried for the English language however; at least the spoken form, anyway. I (sadly) know people who will say out-loud "Ah I was just kidding, el-oh-el, jay-kay jay-kay."


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