Ah, yet another writer who doesn't know the meaning of "Decimate!"
By
afocks,
Posted on: 2011-12-07 17:49 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Nope.
De minimis non curat Lex Luthor.
To be completely fair there are multiple definitions for the word.
Andy Belford
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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...
My mind wanders so often you've probably seen its picture on milk cartons. - Me... the first person version of the third person Steelclaw
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I think the last time anyone actually cared about using it in that manner was in ancient Rome |
Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf
Decimate: A Roman punishment for cowardice in the legions. Every tenth man in the unit of the man who showed cowardice was killed.
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Ok, so Zwill's link says it was first used in 1660 but you get the jist.
The definition you're referring to is practically obsolete in modern English. Words evolve over time.
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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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Wait ... why do I need facebook integration on an online dictionary page? Its presence confuses me.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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Well, phrases like 'awfully exciting' etc. Otherwise that'd seem a bit wierd, yeah.|
Originally Posted by Golden Girl
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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WTH? I have to mate with every 10th man?!?!? I'm not that kinda guy...|
Originally Posted by Steelclaw
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... |
hmmm
But. then again, they /ARE/ Romans, right?
hmmm
Cal
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American Heritage usage note:|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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| 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. |
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Well, there is a cap on the AoE.
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Originally Posted by Zombie Man
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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Andy Belford
Community Manager
Paragon Studios
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Just because "ain't" is in the dictionary doesn't mean I accept that, either.|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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Originally Posted by Golden Girl
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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When it's one out of ten, we can decimate them and it'll be problem solved.
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Originally Posted by Zombie Man
One out three experts still object to the broader meaning of "a large portion."
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Originally Posted by Oliin
Wait ... why do I need facebook integration on an online dictionary page? Its presence confuses me.
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If we decimate the dissenters those numbers'd be 76% and 36%.
| 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. |
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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Funny thing about words. They can have multiple meanings:|
Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf
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... |
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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Hmm... "awful" and "artificial" relating to a house of worship...|
Originally Posted by Dark_Respite
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 |
What is it that my brain wishes me to type about that...
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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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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Originally Posted by Dark_Respite
Just because "ain't" is in the dictionary doesn't mean I accept that, either.
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Serious question: Has the English language been decimated?
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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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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Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
Serious question: Has the English language been decimated?
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Originally Posted by RedwoodTheElf
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! |
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 (d
s
-m
t
)tr.v. dec·i·mat·ed, dec·i·mat·ing, dec·i·mates1. 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.
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| 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. |
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Originally Posted by Mr_Morbid
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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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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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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