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Joined: Apr 2010
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Apr 2010
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This recently came up in conversation - is the word 'imminent' - as in somebody's return is 'imminent', i.e. expected to occur before too long in the future - used only in a the sense of foreboding? I have often used it refer to an event about to occur. I have heard that the passage of the health care bill is 'imminent' (and not by FOX news). Can someone clarify and perhaps offer a couple of instances where my interpretation is apropos?
Thanks.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Hi! Here's anyway some dictionary information: Link Apparently the treatening aspect plays an important part in it.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
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----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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I've always thought it just meant that something--good or otherwise--was about to happen.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
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Someone on one of the national news stations was giving the
weather, this AM, and forecast severe weather as imminent
in the plains today.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963
old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963 |
I use the word for all occasions, and let the context determine whether or not foreboding is warranted.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
It's not an unknown phenomenon. A neutral word will start getting used more and more often in a negative context until some folks decide that it can only mean something negative. Another example of this is enormity. Fortunately there will always be staunch defenders of the language who will continue to use the word in non-negative contexts.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
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News media use "incredible", as in the floods in Tennessee.
Hardly unbelievable, actually, though the damage can be.
Floods occur yearly, believe it or not.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: May 2010
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 963 |
I learned enormity as a negative word and, as a staunch defender of language, have fought for its negativity. I'm beginning to learn that I need to research what it is I'm fighting for. That applies to more than language.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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Browsing my B&M OED I see that the original definition of enormity was something along the lines of 'divergence from the norm.' Enormous had a similar meaning. This goes back to the late 15th century. The limitation to divergence from the norm in size, and then only in the sense of excessive size, dates to the late 18th century. Enormous took on the sense of 'great size' in the mid 16th.
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