Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site hou2g.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!hou2g!scott From: scott@hou2g.UUCP (Colonel'K) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly? Message-ID: <690@hou2g.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 09:01:51 EST Article-I.D.: hou2g.690 Posted: Tue Oct 29 09:01:51 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 06:40:50 EST References: <162@opus.UUCP> Organization: A Rent-Controlled Gothic Mansion Lines: 28 >Then there's "comprise". This word is so often misused that we might as >well remove it from the language! If you see the phrase "comprised of" in >someone's writing, you can probably toss it off right away as pretentious, > >Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 The following is from my Webster's (Ninth Collegiate), for your information: Although it has been in use *since the late 18th century*, sense 3 [the definition to which Dick alludes] is still attacked as wrong. Why it has been singled out is not clear, but until comparatively recent times it was found chiefly in scientific or technical writing rather than belles lettres. Our current evidence shows a slight shift in usage: sense 3 is somewhat more frequent in recent literary use than the earlier senses. You should be aware, however, that if you use sense 3 you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as "compose" or "make up". So I guess Dick is both right AND wrong! Just goes to show you how the language evolves... "Now see HERE! I speak over 50 languages fluently, but gibberish isn't one of them." Scott J. Berry ihnp4!hou2g!scott