Comments on: Should “Decimate” be Annihilated?

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:26:12 +0000

I never knew that a number came with the work “decimate”. In fact, the dictionary states one of the definitions of the word as “to cause great destruction or harm” (merriam-webster.com). So if people don’t consider the 10% as part of the definition, then it still isn’t wrong!
Joe

By: Greg Bailey

Greg Bailey — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 06:25:48 +0000

The truly sad part of this discussion is that, while it is clear that this word should be skunked, it is because of the failure of the Learned, rather than the common man. This is for two reasons, which compound the confusion. The first is the essential failure to understand that there is a difference between literal translation and functional meaning. The second is the difficulty of moving a colloquialism into common usage. While ‘Decimation’ literally describes the method of determining whom shall suffer the punishment, the functional meaning is that those who suffer decimation, die. Therefore, “sometimes mistakenly applied to a complete obliteration” is, in fact, the correct meaning, since those who suffer decimation are the 1/10 part, rather than the whole.

By: Rick Brown

Rick Brown — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:14:13 +0000

One thing not mentioned here is the main source of the misuse of the term. Media. Think about where you last heard the word misused. In my own personal experience it is the misuse of decimate and its’ derivatives by newspaper, radio and television reporters. One would think that they of all people would know the correct usage of the word. They have had more influence on the continued misuse than any other source.

By: leon

leon — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:46:50 +0000

“reduced TO (about) a tenth” I understood the roman idea was to remove every 10th… therefore your correct modern word would signify “reduced BY (about) a tenth”, would it not?.

By: NeilT

NeilT — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:42:22 +0000

Certainly the Roman use is very clear and specific. But what it appears most people have missed, is that there is a modern need for a word to signify ‘reduced TO (about) a tenth’. In the absence of anything like ‘novimate’, ‘decimate’ has had to do.

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:45:26 +0000

By the way your computer even messed up mine…look it should read “its staff” and “others’correct spelling” cheers

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:42:32 +0000

Hi..an American group making comment on the “abuse of the Queen’s English”…well, there’s a chuckle but where else better to do it than in the place where English has been most abused…America…

How do they know what’s correct?…I suppose buying an ‘older’ dictionary not printed in the USA but in a place where language has some holding of the roots of words might help; but then can they recognise the correct spellings?
When you work it out take it to Microsoft would you?….maybe it s staff could learn how to spell before correcting other’s correct spelling.

Cheers

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Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:19:45 +0000

[...] University Press. I will agree there is still confusion over the word, but my idea withstands. Should “Decimate” be Annihilated? : OUPblog http://www.worldwidewords.org/backissues/wbi080112.txt If you think a forum is going downhill, [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:11:46 +0000

I’m usually very accepting of the ways that language grows and changes, but this one always annoys me. The prefix “deci” is right there for all to see. We might as well change the definition of the word “quartered” to mean 1/2th.

By: David Craig

David Craig — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:42:15 +0000

“Egregious” is a term of approval, “nice” means “ignorant,” and “silly” means “blessed.”

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:39:31 +0000

How about “unique” in usages that don’t limit to one?

By: Martyn Cornell

Martyn Cornell — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:45:23 +0000

I love the expression “skunked term”, supplies a great image – purists holding their noses as someone else misuses “fulsome” to mean “effusive”

By: James Crippen

James Crippen — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:28:23 +0000

The use of “exponential” to mean any great number is actually more of a sign of innumeracy than it is of vocabulary misuse. People who work in mathematically oriented fields, e.g. scientists and engineers, do not tend to misuse “exponential”. But people who are largely innumerate – those who never studied mathematics further than basic algebra – do tend to misuse it because they aren’t as sensitive to its mathematical meaning.

On the other hand, “decimate” has no technical application outside of discussing the Roman habit. So for that term it’s not a matter of innumeracy, it’s just that people have learned the newer, generalized meaning before they ever learned the classical meaning.

On the gripping hand, even highly numerate people intentionally or semi-intentionally misuse terminology like “exponential”, but they’re largely aware of the hyperbole. Indeed, I had a conversation with a physicist not too long ago where he complained about the “exponential growth of idiocy” among college students. He knew perfectly well that it’s probably more like a linear growth pattern.

By: Paula Mathieson

Paula Mathieson — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:43:50 +0000

Is “exponential” another equivocal term similar to “decimate”, i.e. also related to numbers and hyperbole?

By: Peter Metcalfe

Peter Metcalfe — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:27:44 +0000

I should note that Julian the Apostate who knew far more latin than any of the people complaining about “decimate” had the impression that it meant killing ten people.

By: Adrienne Piggott

Adrienne Piggott — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:29:04 +0000

I got into a heated argument over the term decimate with one of my translation teachers a few years ago. Perhaps my youth leads me to be more open to the evolution of the language (or perhaps having a linguist for a father). One thing is certain, the English language will continue to evolve, and old words will take on new meanings. Anyone who tries to fight agains this is in for a long (and somewhat pointless) battle. After all, gurl became girl, the definition changed, and I don’t hear too many people complaining.