improper-but-no-longer-incorrect word usage alert!

EsĀ­tiĀ­mated reading time is 1 minute.

IMPROPER-BUT-NO-LONGER-INCORRECT word usage alert: acĀ­cording to Merriam-Webster OnĀ­line, the word decĀ­imal as an adĀ­jecĀ­tive means (in order) ā€œnumĀ­bered or proĀ­ceeding by tens; or based on the number 10; esĀ­peĀ­cially exĀ­pressed in or utiĀ­lizing a decĀ­imal system esĀ­peĀ­cially with a decĀ­imal point; or subĀ­diĀ­vided into 10th or 100th units.ā€ As a noun, decĀ­imal means alĀ­most the same: ā€œany real number exĀ­pressed in base 10.ā€

Now, the Word Alert here ain’t for decĀ­imal—it’s for decĀ­iĀ­mate, which means ā€œto seĀ­lect by lot and kill every tenth man of.ā€ A secĀ­ondary deĀ­fĀ­iĀ­nĀ­iĀ­tion is far less likely to be found in modern usage: ā€œto exact a tax of 10 perĀ­cent from.ā€

So, used propĀ­erly, ā€œto decĀ­iĀ­mate something/anythingā€ means to reĀ­move or elimĀ­iĀ­nate every tenth item or thing in that something/anything. More loosely, but still propĀ­erly, it means to elimĀ­iĀ­nate or reĀ­move any one-tenth of that something/anything.

The imĀ­proper and once inĀ­corĀ­rect meaningā€”ā€œto reĀ­duce drasĀ­tiĀ­cally, esĀ­peĀ­cially in numberā€ā€”is now corĀ­rect: the deĀ­fĀ­iĀ­nĀ­iĀ­tion I just used is the third listed by Merriam-Webster. So, once again, igĀ­noĀ­rance and misuse of the lanĀ­guage triĀ­umphs over knowlĀ­edge awareĀ­ness correctness.

For those of us ā€œstickĀ­lersā€ who still beĀ­lieve in preĀ­scripĀ­tive dicĀ­tioĀ­naries, it reĀ­mains nonetheĀ­less quite imĀ­proper when used thusly!

I bring this to your atĀ­tenĀ­tion beĀ­cause I see decĀ­iĀ­mate used so freĀ­quently these days. It has beĀ­come quite popĀ­ular with the past few genĀ­erĀ­aĀ­tions of writers. I mean, like, man, I see it everyĀ­where—and alĀ­ways used imĀ­propĀ­erly. In fact, I’m not cerĀ­tain that I have seen it used propĀ­erly in decades (anĀ­other word with dec. (Oh, damn! Now I’m making the arĀ­guĀ­ment for its inĀ­corĀ­rect usage as the ā€˜new’ corĀ­rect usage!). 

PS: Did you know that nonetheĀ­less (a word that I posĀ­iĀ­tively use alĀ­most to exĀ­cess) and nevĀ­erĀ­theĀ­less (a word that I alĀ­most never use) and notwithĀ­standing (does anyone use that word in acĀ­tual conĀ­verĀ­saĀ­tion anyĀ­more?) are all synonyms?

I didn’t! Hell’s Belles!! I didn’t even know that notwithĀ­standing was a word!!!

 

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