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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sb1!sb6!bpa!burdvax!psuvax!simon
From: simon@psuvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: id AA27063; Thu, 23 Feb 84 04:06:19 pst
Message-ID: <747@psuvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Feb-84 14:49:12 EST
Article-I.D.: psuvax.747
Posted: Mon Feb 27 14:49:12 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Feb-84 15:39:31 EST
References: <5761@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 12

It is sad to have to read all these glorifications of ignorance ("I don't
speak any languages other than English, and I am proud of being an uncultured
slob").
As a specific comment, it was said that the origin of "decimate"
was "to take the tenth part" while it is used in the sense of "wipe out", and
therefore, culture is bad, since you would use the word wrongly. The fact is,
a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. In this specific case, a little more
knowledge would elicit the fact that a not uncommon, and very severe form of
punishment for rebellious legions was to decimate them - kill every tenth
soldier. This "only" took every tenth soldier, but gave the ominous meaning to
the word.
js