[Grovenet] Was it Devastated or merely Decimated?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Ha, ha!! You may well have hit on why the meaning changed, David! 

Ron D'Eau Claire 

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of David Morelli
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 10:25 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Was it Devastated or merely Decimated?


Funny.  Based upon common usage and the root of the word, I would  
have taken the early meaning to be "to be reduced TO 1/10" rather  
than "to be reduced BY 1/10".  Go figure.

David

On Jan 26, 2007, at 9:21 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> I use the references my editors use, such as the Merriam-Webster or
> the American Heritage Dictionary or which defines decimate both  
> ways, as I noted.
>
> For example M-W says:
>
> 1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
> 2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from <poor as a decimated Cavalier
> -- John Dryden>
> 3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated  
> the population> b : to cause great destruction or harm to  
> <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>
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