It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

Yep, apparently Wye River was decimated on xmas day.

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

I think saying almost total destruction is bordering on tautology.

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

also means to reduce a signals sampling rate

and also “was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences” (ref wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army)

A cohort (roughly 480 soldiers) selected for punishment by decimation was divided into groups of ten; each group drew lots (sortition), and the soldier on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning or clubbing. The remaining soldiers were often given rations of barley instead of wheat (the latter being the standard soldier’s diet) for a few days, and required to camp outside the fortified security of the marching camp.

Because the punishment fell by lot, all soldiers in a group sentenced to decimation were potentially liable for execution, regardless of individual degrees of fault, rank or distinction.

Does ‘decimate’ mean ‘destroy one tenth’?

Teleost said:

Does ‘decimate’ mean ‘destroy one tenth’?

A very interesting article. Thanks, Teleost.

From Teleost’s link:

The first English dictionary to record the word was Thomas Blount’s magnificently titled Glossographia, published in 1656, which defines decimate as “to take the tenth, to gather the Tyth”, with no mention made of killing anyone, soldiers or otherwise. In Elisha Coles’ An English Dictionary, published some twenty years later, it is defined as both ‘to tythe or take the tent’ and ‘also punishing every tenth man’. These are the only two dictionaries of the 17th century to define decimate (which is not terribly surprising, as there were very few such reference works at the time).

Think before you decimate

So given that these two meanings of decimate appeared almost simultaneously, why are we so obsessed with assigning the punitive meaning to the word? A likely answer is that people are falling prey to what is known as the Etymological Fallacy, a tendency to believe that a word’s current meaning should be dictated by its roots. Unfortunately for the etymological purists, decimate comes from the Medieval Latin word decimatus, which means ‘to tithe’. The word was then assigned retrospectively to the Roman practice of punishing every tenth soldier.

So, next time you attend a symposium (etymologically, drinking partner) with someone sinister (etymologically, left-handed), and they launch into a tirade about the misuse of this word, you’ll be able to decimate their argument in no time at all.

transition said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army)

A cohort (roughly 480 soldiers) selected for punishment by decimation was divided into groups of ten; each group drew lots (sortition), and the soldier on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning or clubbing. The remaining soldiers were often given rations of barley instead of wheat (the latter being the standard soldier’s diet) for a few days, and required to camp outside the fortified security of the marching camp.

Because the punishment fell by lot, all soldiers in a group sentenced to decimation were potentially liable for execution, regardless of individual degrees of fault, rank or distinction.

I have always had problems with this because in reality it just sounds so unfeasable that the best in 10 might end up killed, a popular and brave soldier. I suspect the reality was that the one in 10 would be the weakest link and the poll was which one to die. That makes much more sense from a pragmatic and cultural aspect.

Teleost said:

Does ‘decimate’ mean ‘destroy one tenth’?

I find it somewhat amusing that that blog is sponsored by the Oxford English Dictionary, but it’s written in American.

btm said:

Teleost said:

Does ‘decimate’ mean ‘destroy one tenth’?

I find it somewhat amusing that that blog is sponsored by the Oxford English Dictionary, but it’s written in American.

I found this, which explains it, at the bottom of the article:

Oxford University Press said:

Ammon Shea is a consulting editor for American Dictionaries for Oxford University Press.

transition said:

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

also means to reduce a signals sampling rate

and also “was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences” (ref wiki)

aye

and a good way to start a mutiny

as for morale , you’d certainly not trust the men around you

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

It shouldn’t, simply because duoated, tresated, quattuorated, sexated, etc aren’t real words. Almost total destruction would be “novem-decimated” so, when you see “decimated”, read it as “novem-decimated”.

mollwollfumble said:

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

It shouldn’t, simply because duoated, tresated, quattuorated, sexated, etc aren’t real words. Almost total destruction would be “novem-decimated” so, when you see “decimated”, read it as “novem-decimated”.

OK.

the only meaning I understand for decimation is killing 1 in ten people

December

the tenth month

wookiemeister said:

December

the tenth month

I support your metrication efforts

Peak Warming Man said:

mollwollfumble said:

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

It shouldn’t, simply because duoated, tresated, quattuorated, sexated, etc aren’t real words. Almost total destruction would be “novem-decimated” so, when you see “decimated”, read it as “novem-decimated”.

OK.

“More than decimated”

Double decimation.

Not a word i’m inclined to use, one hears it a bit. Given the history of it, its military use, i’ll avoid it more.

Obliviate, now there’s an interesting word. Not so much the doing, that all do some of, but of that obliviated.

transition said:

Not a word i’m inclined to use, one hears it a bit. Given the history of it, its military use, i’ll avoid it more.

Obliviate, now there’s an interesting word. Not so much the doing, that all do some of, but of that obliviated.

Obviate is a funny word

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

I thought it was the term used to describe the polygamy commune member who reaches ten partners……..

Postpocelipse said:

bob(from black rock) said:

It annoys the fuck out of me when this word is used to say the almost total destruction of something, when “decimated” means reduced by ten percent.

I thought it was the term used to describe the polygamy commune member who reaches ten partners……..

Doctor Who used the term properly most shows or movies don’t