I’m not sure of disagreeance is a word but agreeance sure is (was):Agreeance is a word that seems to be continually reinvented and recycled. The term first appeared in the 16th century and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. Since then it has fallen into disuse.
So, vocabulary geniuses, are both “normality” and “normalcy” real words? And if not, which one should we avoid using? In 1920, Warren G Harding took a lot of heat for using one of them in his campaign, but then someone took a look at actual dictionaries and found that the one they were giving him a hard time over went back at least to 1857.
Word story Agreeance is a word that seems to be continually reinvented and recycled. The term first appeared in the 16th century and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. Since then it has fallen into disuse. Most likely unaware of the word’s history, modern writers who recoin the term seem to like how it sounds, even though it adds nothing in meaning to its workhorse counterpart, agreement. The suffix ‐ance indeed is used in English to form many nouns from verbs: for example, appearance, acceptance, performance, and remittance. So while there is no rule preventing the formation agree + -ance, the coinage may sound quaint or pretentious to some people.
I once worked with a British engineer. He created tables of terms that I had to verify. I asked him to alphabetize the tables to make my job easier. He looked at me blankly for several seconds so I finally said, “Alphabetize, put in alphabetical order.” He said, “That’s not a word!” Me: “Yes it is. Look it up.” He pulls out this huge hardbound Oxford dictionary of English, looks it up and pronounced it not a word. I ask, “Is that a British dictionary?” Yes. “Well, look it up in an American dictionary.” So he pulls out a small paperback dictionary. I’m thinking, please be in there, please be in there…. He puts the dictionary back. “It’s not a word, it’s an Americanism.”
Anyhoo, I have never seen a dictionary which claimed to contain all words in existence. Most say something like they contain the more common words and spellings of a given language or dialect or region. Standardization helps but exclusion only works with dead languages. People are always free to add or omit or change words. Just contemplate the verb “Google”. If you are unfamilliar with that relatively new verb, just google it.
Seems like a perfectly good word. Agree+ance, where -ance means “the action or process of doing something”. The suffix “-ance” has mostly been assimilated by “-ment”, which used to mean “the completed action or process”. So agreeance would be the process of agreeing, and agreement would the the final outcome of agreeing. Now agreement has both meanings. High School Latin was not a total waste! At least I know how to spell all the English words based on the different Latin verb conjugations ( -ible, -eble, -able; -int; -ent, -ant; -ite, -ete, -ate, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.)
Templo S.U.D. over 10 years ago
“(Dis)agreeance” must be in the Earl Pickles Dictionary, not Webster’s nor Oxford.
Llewellenbruce over 10 years ago
She better hire a painter to do the job ifshe ever wants the house painted.
markzwaan over 10 years ago
I’m not sure of disagreeance is a word but agreeance sure is (was):Agreeance is a word that seems to be continually reinvented and recycled. The term first appeared in the 16th century and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. Since then it has fallen into disuse.
dadoctah over 10 years ago
So, vocabulary geniuses, are both “normality” and “normalcy” real words? And if not, which one should we avoid using? In 1920, Warren G Harding took a lot of heat for using one of them in his campaign, but then someone took a look at actual dictionaries and found that the one they were giving him a hard time over went back at least to 1857.
Pretzelcoatl over 10 years ago
We’ll have to make some allowment for Earl’s brain.
juicebruce over 10 years ago
Good job Mr Crane ! You are making us all think about the words we use every day and there true meaning,if any !
Egrayjames over 10 years ago
I have no problem with agreeance at all. Did someone say potato?
GROG Premium Member over 10 years ago
It ought to be a word.
assrdood over 10 years ago
I think George Bush (the younger) invented a few word too.
bagbalm over 10 years ago
She is in annoyance.
T_Lexi over 10 years ago
Agreeance is a perfectly cromulent word.
Perkycat over 10 years ago
I like it. Why should we be limited to just the words in the dictionary? And if you annoy someone – so much the better.
pmmarion Premium Member over 10 years ago
Word story Agreeance is a word that seems to be continually reinvented and recycled. The term first appeared in the 16th century and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. Since then it has fallen into disuse. Most likely unaware of the word’s history, modern writers who recoin the term seem to like how it sounds, even though it adds nothing in meaning to its workhorse counterpart, agreement. The suffix ‐ance indeed is used in English to form many nouns from verbs: for example, appearance, acceptance, performance, and remittance. So while there is no rule preventing the formation agree + -ance, the coinage may sound quaint or pretentious to some people.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
jtviper7 over 10 years ago
Earl, You should just agree with her… It’s easier that way…
dirgis3 over 10 years ago
If the message gets across, why not disagreance? Who would unagree with that?
Jolly1995 over 10 years ago
IT IS DEFINITELY A WORD
Jolly1995 over 10 years ago
Agreeance is a word and is in Websters New World dictionary
morton115 over 10 years ago
I once worked with a British engineer. He created tables of terms that I had to verify. I asked him to alphabetize the tables to make my job easier. He looked at me blankly for several seconds so I finally said, “Alphabetize, put in alphabetical order.” He said, “That’s not a word!” Me: “Yes it is. Look it up.” He pulls out this huge hardbound Oxford dictionary of English, looks it up and pronounced it not a word. I ask, “Is that a British dictionary?” Yes. “Well, look it up in an American dictionary.” So he pulls out a small paperback dictionary. I’m thinking, please be in there, please be in there…. He puts the dictionary back. “It’s not a word, it’s an Americanism.”
southoftheborder over 10 years ago
Nos Nevets: A common-tater is called a spud.
kaneohegirl over 10 years ago
agreeance IS a word. it is a 16th century word that fell into disuse and was replaced with agreementlook it up on dictionary.com
bonitabarb43 over 10 years ago
I had to Google it because I’m sure I have used both. Glad I was right either way. Now what were those other words?
Number Three over 10 years ago
Oh Earl always has to be right!
Geez.
xxx
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace over 10 years ago
Anyhoo, I have never seen a dictionary which claimed to contain all words in existence. Most say something like they contain the more common words and spellings of a given language or dialect or region. Standardization helps but exclusion only works with dead languages. People are always free to add or omit or change words. Just contemplate the verb “Google”. If you are unfamilliar with that relatively new verb, just google it.
NickFortis over 10 years ago
A pair from the Oxford English Dictionary
† disaˈgreeance, n.Etymology: < disagree v., after agreeance n.: compare also Old French desagreance (Godefroy).Obs.
= disagreement n.==========agreeance, n./Forms: 15 agreans, 15– agreeance, 16 aggreeance; also Sc. pre-17 aggreance, pre-17 … (Show More)Etymology: < agree v. + -ance suffix.
Compare Old Occitan agradansa … (Show More)orig. Sc. = agreement n. (in various senses).Now sometimes regarded as nonstandard.
Lamberger over 10 years ago
When it comes to neologisms, Earl is as ept as can be.
Lamberger over 10 years ago
Seems like a perfectly good word. Agree+ance, where -ance means “the action or process of doing something”. The suffix “-ance” has mostly been assimilated by “-ment”, which used to mean “the completed action or process”. So agreeance would be the process of agreeing, and agreement would the the final outcome of agreeing. Now agreement has both meanings. High School Latin was not a total waste! At least I know how to spell all the English words based on the different Latin verb conjugations ( -ible, -eble, -able; -int; -ent, -ant; -ite, -ete, -ate, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.)
Radical-Knight over 10 years ago
Earl is in agrievance…