• Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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    6 months ago

    First, I am highly irate of the misuse of the word ‘decimate’ in the article. It means to destroy a tenth part of something, not totally obliterate it.

    There is no second!

    • PlasticExistence@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      That’s the historical definition of the word, but colloquially it just means a large part.

      It’s like how historically retro meant something new inspired by something or a style from the past, but now people are using it as a substitute for “classic” (in particular with respect to video games). I dislike that too, but I’m not the arbiter of language. Not yet anyway, but soon. Soon…

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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        6 months ago

        ). I dislike that too, but I’m not the arbiter of language. Not yet anyway, but soon. Soon…

        Your legions await your orders, Sire!

    • tiredofsametab@kbin.run
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      6 months ago

      Shouldn’t “to destroy a tenth part of something” be in quotes there? Unless you mean the article has the intention of destroying ten per cent of things.

      Language changes.

    • sparkle@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      This is wrong. Decimate can mean the killing or destruction of any large portion of something. E.g. one definition you might see is “To devastate: to reduce or destroy significantly but not completely.”