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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Assume #93769 01/30/03 03:05 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie OP Carpal Tunnel OP Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Although I am far too well acquainted with the by-now-familiar consequences of assuming things, that's not what this post is about. A sign in the grocery store parking lot caught my attention: "We cannot assume responsibility for damage caused by loose carts". (Meaning, presumably, any cart that hadn't been pushed to the cart corral or that had managed to escape from its handler...) This is a different usage than saying, for ex., "I assumed you were going to take care of that". Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Assume #93770 01/30/03 04:46 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Presumably the Assumption of the Virgin Mary does not refer to any unfounded idea she may have had. Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Assumption of the Virgin Mary #93771 01/30/03 10:56 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory A Alex Williams Pooh-Bah Alex Williams Pooh-Bah A Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory I wonder if she assumed all along that she would assume, or if it came as a surprise? All cheekiness aside, it is interesting all the different meanings that "assume" can, well, assume. [sorry, couldn't resist]. M-W lists the following Etymology: Middle English, from Latin assumere, from ad- + sumere to take -- more at CONSUME Date: 15th century 1a : to take up or in : RECEIVE b : to take into partnership, employment, or use 2 a : to take to or upon oneself : UNDERTAKE b : PUT ON, DON 3 : to take control of 4 : to pretend to have or be : FEIGN <assumed an air of confidence in spite of her dismay> 5 : to take as granted or true : SUPPOSE 6 : to take over (the debts of another) as one's own Some of those are a bit redundant. e.g. Definition #4 seems like it is covered by "to put on" or "to don" in a figurative sense. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Assumption of the Virgin Mary #93772 01/30/03 01:16 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 I suppose the market owners were saying :"Don't expect ;us to pay for having your vehicle repainted if an unattended cart scratches it." However, it seems possible that they have acknowledged existence of a hazard to patrons' vehicles, and if they do not have an employee promptly removing such hazards, they might be found guilty of negligence by a crazy jury, under the "deep pockets" theory. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Assumption of the Virgin Mary #93773 01/30/03 02:02 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie OP Carpal Tunnel OP Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Wow, thanks, Alex. I have heard this word used with all those meanings, but I hadn't really thought out that there were that many. Now I'm trying to figure out which one "assume the position" comes under. I don't know exactly what the word as used in your subject means. I had always...er, assumed...that it meant ascension. Helen could tell me--hurry and get back on-line, girl! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Assumption of the Virgin Mary #93774 01/30/03 02:06 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,156 B Bean old hand Bean old hand B Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,156 It's a standard Catholic one-liner, in response to someone whining "But I assumed...." that "the only person who got anywhere by assumption was Mary". I guess it's the "take-up" meaning. Taken body and soul up into heaven, that sort of thing. I bet it was named in Latin first (as so many church things are) and then just borrowed straight into English. So the question is, do the subtleties of the definition of the Latin form of assume include literally taking up? Any Latin-types wanna answer that? 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