Dinosaur Comics by Ryan North for October 17, 2017

There’s currently an argument going around in the language circles that the use of “deci” as described above was a misinterpretation of the Latin story, and that “decimate” meaning “to almost wipe out” is actually correct. “Precision” only counts in surgery and bombing.

Prescriptivism is just stubborn wishful thinking. A form of temper tantrum.

I looked up: T-Rex’s usage of the word “decimate” is technically still correct. The original “destroy a tenth of” definition is, of course, still valid too, but is beginning to be considered obsolete in some circles. Just goes to show that language evolves.

Last week I heard a public official (elected type) say that something was “literally” whatever, and it was something that couldn’t be more than figuratively whatever. Lawmakers who don’t know how words work are dangerous.

First of all, it’s a factitive verb formed to decim- (not “deci-”), the combining form of decem “ten”.

Second, the interminable argument about the “correct” meaning of decimate is an example of the Etymological Fallacy, namely the idea that what a word used to mean is its “correct” meaning. The word “etymology” in fact is a Greek word meaning “the study of true meaning”, as in “the true meaning of doctor is ‘teacher’”. No it isn’t, and obviously. A majority of English words borrowed from Latin, Greek, French, and even Sanskrit (e.g. karma, nirvāna) don’t mean what they meant in the source language, even when that source is an earlier form of English. December isn’t the tenth month, meticulous doesn’t mean “fearful”, curious doesn’t mean “careful”, second doesn’t mean “following”, lethargic doesn’t mean “forgetful”, pretty doesn’t mean “tricksy”, crafty doesn’t mean “strong”, etc., etc., etc.