Positively Seeking Orphaned/Unpaired Negatives.
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Inadvertently, I have neglected to acknowledge the thoughtful contributions of umsolopagas, Kvetch, gollum, spiphany, tollbaby, and gpackin, to the discussion so far. Herewith, I rectify that unseemly oversight. I am, while overseeing this effort, not overlooking "the grim squeaker" who is our top contributor to this point.
Lest you view the language here to be overdone, this comment is now over; done!
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
Lest you view the language here to be overdone, this comment is now over; done!
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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Somehow or other I just noticed this thread, so I'm very late with this: much earlier, someone questioned the use of clement in contrast to unclement. I HAVE heard (or read?) clement in connection with the weather (which is also where I apply inclement). If it truly is "I heard," inclement would not count, but if it is "I read" — who knows? I read English from Chaucer to modern Romances (which are often placed in medieval times — and thus use old usages). I read may fail to support the use of the word "clement."
Sue
Sue
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I have been resisting the urge to use search engines for more answers, but I am currently struggling to think of any more.
'You can take our lives but you'll never take our freedom!' he screamed.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
Carcer's men looked at one another, puzzled by what sounded like most badly thought-out war cry in the history of the universe.
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Is there any current usage in Scotland for canny?
The reference I saw implied that this mid 17th century word might still be used there.
Otherwise, I would suggest adding uncanny to the list. Here in the U.S., uncanny stands weirdly, perhaps supernaturally, unpaired in routine use.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
The reference I saw implied that this mid 17th century word might still be used there.
Otherwise, I would suggest adding uncanny to the list. Here in the U.S., uncanny stands weirdly, perhaps supernaturally, unpaired in routine use.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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The noun -- clemency -- is at any rate sometimes used in religious or juridical contexts in the sense of "showing mercy". I can't recall having heard the adjective used but, like Sue, I'm familiar with it as a word.mccormack44 wrote:...much earlier, someone questioned the use of clement in contrast to unclement. I HAVE heard (or read?) clement in connection with the weather (which is also where I apply inclement). If it truly is "I heard," inclement would not count, but if it is "I read" — who knows? I read English from Chaucer to modern Romances (which are often placed in medieval times — and thus use old usages).
IPHIGENIE: Kann uns zum Vaterland die Fremde werden?
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
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Thank you, tollbaby. Now whether the weather is clement or foul, I'll not be troubled that this list excludes uncanny.
I suppose, too, that you will be able to console me if disconsolate is disallowed. I shall be cheerless and gloomy for at least -- minutes, though.
The world will be temporarily out of kilter for me. Just how long must I wait until it is in kilter again?
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
I suppose, too, that you will be able to console me if disconsolate is disallowed. I shall be cheerless and gloomy for at least -- minutes, though.
The world will be temporarily out of kilter for me. Just how long must I wait until it is in kilter again?
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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Can I use two words?
I'll...try!
That is a fair question, susan. I would say generally, that the orphaned/unpaired negatives would be single words, but off kilter called out to me. I will expunge it from consideration if that is the will of the group.
"Nevermore" does have the word "more" as a positive, meaning again as: "Let's do it some more."
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
I'll...try!
That is a fair question, susan. I would say generally, that the orphaned/unpaired negatives would be single words, but off kilter called out to me. I will expunge it from consideration if that is the will of the group.
"Nevermore" does have the word "more" as a positive, meaning again as: "Let's do it some more."
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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Revamp: Looked up at Dictionary.com
1850, from re- "again" + vamp "patch up, replace the upper front part of a shoe" (see vamp (v.)).
Negative. No! Not!
Sorry, so sad, too bad.
How positive must we be that the negative is even negative?
"The check is in the post?"
Perhaps the first check should be in the dictionary.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
1850, from re- "again" + vamp "patch up, replace the upper front part of a shoe" (see vamp (v.)).
Negative. No! Not!
Sorry, so sad, too bad.
How positive must we be that the negative is even negative?
"The check is in the post?"
Perhaps the first check should be in the dictionary.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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clement
I found this as I was reading last night:
"…Such a lovely evening — at least the weather was quite clement. A delightful change from Connecticut. … "
Found in Deadly Valentine—a Death on Demand mystery by Carolyn G. Hart, copyright 1990.
The thing that I find MOST interesting about this is that I wouldn't have noticed the word except for this discussion.
Sue
I found this as I was reading last night:
"…Such a lovely evening — at least the weather was quite clement. A delightful change from Connecticut. … "
Found in Deadly Valentine—a Death on Demand mystery by Carolyn G. Hart, copyright 1990.
The thing that I find MOST interesting about this is that I wouldn't have noticed the word except for this discussion.
Sue
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I'm not sure what you mean, since most of the words already suggested here are Latinate in origin. (This is typical of English vocabulary -- most of it is borrowed.) The only words which are arguably "native" would be words that are Germanic in origin -- and even that is rather complicated, because Anglo-Saxon (i.e., Old English) and Danish vocabulary have gotten mixed together and are often difficult to distinguish.Algot Runeman wrote:Should we allow into our lovable list of lonely negative words, words that come to us whole from another language, but for which we don't have the positive incorporated?
IPHIGENIE: Kann uns zum Vaterland die Fremde werden?
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
ARKAS: Und dir ist fremd das Vaterland geworden.
IPHIGENIE: Das ist's, warum mein blutend Herz nicht heilt.
(Goethe, Iphigenie auf Tauris)
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spiphany,
When I began thinking about this particular word play, lying awake between two and four A.M. after escaping to wakefulness from a nightmare, I guess the first words that bubbled into my thoughts were ones that had a positive that just wasn't in common use or had become archaic. (Getting my mind off the nightmare is important, since I often sink back to sleep and pick up in the middle of the nightmare, too.)
English absorbs words from all sorts of other languages. As you pointed out, the Romans occupation of England gave us much of our language's roots. I love the resulting richness of English, full of words with many language origins.
I asked the question about abstain and abrogate because they appear to have come to us without bringing their positive version for our daily use, not fitting into my initial, nightmare induced thought process. I, personally, do recommend their inclusion along with others like them.
While developing this list is a challenge, my hope is that it remains fun.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
When I began thinking about this particular word play, lying awake between two and four A.M. after escaping to wakefulness from a nightmare, I guess the first words that bubbled into my thoughts were ones that had a positive that just wasn't in common use or had become archaic. (Getting my mind off the nightmare is important, since I often sink back to sleep and pick up in the middle of the nightmare, too.)
English absorbs words from all sorts of other languages. As you pointed out, the Romans occupation of England gave us much of our language's roots. I love the resulting richness of English, full of words with many language origins.
I asked the question about abstain and abrogate because they appear to have come to us without bringing their positive version for our daily use, not fitting into my initial, nightmare induced thought process. I, personally, do recommend their inclusion along with others like them.
While developing this list is a challenge, my hope is that it remains fun.
Keep 'em coming!
--Algot
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