reorientating an olde discussion

Wordsmith.org

we've had some discussions here in the past about the wordiness of the verb orientate.

I've had the fortune to stuble upon a parallel formulation in the verb to permutate = to permute. although obviously enough stemming from L. permutare, OED2 suggests perh. after PERMUTATION.

Google[Books] suggests a usage ratio of 24 to 1, so probly at least an order of magnitude in real life.

there are 50 books which have both permute and permutate, including this exceedingly odd looking find:

(iii) For each edge, permutate the two neighboring faces f[l],f[r]
(iv) For each edge, permute the edge attributes "convex" and "concave"

in searching these forums for use of the word permutate, I found that it has been used twice by the muchly missed Wordwind. but in trying to link to those threads, I received the dread SQL Error, using IE or Firefox.

but, perseverating(!), I was able to get there using Netscape!

OneLook gives it only two hits, usu meaning either that (1) it's very obscure, or (2) if it's an old-timer it's just starting to make a comeback

Quote:

...but, perseverating(!)...

As another "HC, B!", just happened to read an article today that identified 'perseveration' as a malady that causes one to repeat behaviors endlessly, such as (in the article) "us[ing] an electric razor obsessively" .

Here is a vaguely related excerpt from an obscure work:

In a lively argument regarding diction, gloating by the opponent did not last long after it was determined that condensate is a real word, but only a noun. Another debater who years before was backing connotate as a real word had lost his bet. Maybe there are some hillbillies who think tarnate must be a real word.

Maybe permutate is dregs produced from distilling by permutation?

Quote:

(iii) For each edge, permutate the two neighboring faces f[l],f[r]
(iv) For each edge, permute the edge attributes "convex" and "concave"

This example suggests the possibility that, in the cerulean realm of abstruse mathematics, "permute" and "permutate" might could have substantially different meanings. I ain't saying, I'm just saying.