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#22072 - 03/10/01 09:17 AM plaudits
Anonymous Unregistered	wow used an interesting word in a recent post, "plaudits". It reminded me of "pundits", and i'm wondering (1)if the "dit" ending means "to say" (i'm assuming there's a Latin word to that effect, since IIRC the french word for speak is 'dit') (2)are there a bunch of other related words that end in "-dit"? i'm guessing that the first part of my query falls squarely within the YCLIU guidelines, but i figured i'd be lazy since i know of no search engine that would help me find words based on a suffix. anyone?? TIA ~b
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#22073 - 03/10/01 09:50 AM Re: plaudits
wwh Carpal Tunnel Registered: 01/18/01 Posts: 13858	Dear bridget96: A while back there was a category for "beheaded words": This looks like a Latin past participle or something, with its end chopped off. < L plaudite, pl. imper. of plaudere, to applaud6 [usually pl.] 1 an applauding or round of applause
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#22074 - 03/10/01 11:07 AM Re: plaudits
tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 10463 Loc: this too shall pass	b37, most search engines have a wildcard feature, so you can search for *dit, for example. I tried this at OneLook, but most of the resources returned "too many matches" after getting to 'credit' or thereabouts. I did get a few interesting hits though. pandit - a wise man (in India) adit - an entrance to a cave (a crossword staple, as I recall) geddit - this surprise from the Cambridge International is given as: interjection BRITISH INFORMAL; used at the end of a statement to attract attention to an obvious play on words, geddit? I don't think any of these support your theory.
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#22075 - 03/10/01 11:21 AM Re: plaudits
wwh Carpal Tunnel Registered: 01/18/01 Posts: 13858	Dear tsuwm: "geddit" sounds very "non U". A very "uncool" way of crowing after a mediocre quip.
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#22076 - 03/10/01 11:32 AM Re: plaudits
tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 10463 Loc: this too shall pass	>"geddit" sounds very "non U". [emphasis added] so, as these things turn, it's probably very 'U'; geddit?
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#22077 - 03/10/01 11:36 AM Re: plaudits
wow Carpal Tunnel Registered: 11/25/00 Posts: 3439 Loc: New England, USA	wow used an interesting word in a recent post, "plaudits". You mean to say people actually read my posts? I shall have to keep that in mind! {getting out her bamboo pole she leaves to go fish for more nice compliments.} wow
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#22078 - 03/10/01 11:43 AM Re: plaudits
wwh Carpal Tunnel Registered: 01/18/01 Posts: 13858	Dear tsuwm: Were you crowing, or must I eat crow? Incidentally, I have actually eaten crow. I had a Hungarian friend who was such a remarkable marksman that at a rifle range near the Cape Cod Canal he was able to shoot some young crows, which he said were considered a delicacy in his homeland. He made soup from them, and it was quite acceptable.
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#22079 - 03/11/01 07:46 AM Re: plaudits
Rouspeteur member Registered: 03/10/01 Posts: 163	Plaudit and pundit are actually from entirely different parts of the globe. Pundit: [a. HindW pa:,it:—Skr. pa:,ita learned, skilled; as n., a learned man. So Pg. pandito, põdito (16–17th c.), F. pandit, formerly pandite, -decte.] a. A learned Hindu; one versed in Sanskrit and in the philosophy, religion, and jurisprudence of India. The Pundit of the Supreme Court (in India) was a Hindu Law-Officer, whose duty it was to advise the English Judges when needful on questions of Hindu Law. The office became extinct on the constitution of the ‘High Court’ in 1862. wwh's explanation of the origin of plaudit is correct.
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#22080 - 03/11/01 06:45 PM Re: plaudits
Scribbler journeyman Registered: 01/21/01 Posts: 86 Loc: Utopia, not in literal sense, ...	Bridget - - You received some good information from our colleagues, but, Cara Dea, no one, up to this point, answered your first question.# (1) about the source Latin verb meaning " to say". As you correctly surmised, there is such a Latin verb - dico, dicere, dixi, dictus - "to say" or "to speak" - which word serves as a base for words of similar meaning in French and, I think, other Romance languages.
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