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Darn you, maverick! You pinched me in the birthdays thread, where I couldn't chase you down and get you back, so NOW look what you've made me do--come over here and start a whole new thread![mock-glower e] Here's what started the chase: Have you seen M-W’s Word of the Day, Jackie? *EG*AUGH! Maverick! You come here this instant! BOY do I have something for you!!! Oooh! I did find vindication, there, though: Some critics dislike "orientate" because it contains an unnecessary extra syllable, but you can decide for yourself how important that consideration is for you. Personal choice is the primary deciding factor, although "orientate" tends to be used more often in British English than it is in American. So, pppbbbfffttt, to you. [stalks righteously away muttering, "Gol-danged Brit-speakers anyway..."]
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Mav, would you agree that Jackie's "pppbbbfffttt" is the US (and unasterisked) equivalent of what you British-Isler ayleurs would refer to as a raspberry tart?
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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[ blue ]PS: To Keiva (and I never mentioned even once that grand piano-mouthed mammal!)[/ blue ]
But Dub-Dub, ya' did-did!
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I was under the impression reiterate was used to mean "say again" while iterate was confined to more technical and mathematical contexts.
Bingley
Bingley
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nearly all current dictionaries equate the two, even when giving shadings for synonyms of 'repeat'; the math usage is the newest sense of iterate, not showing up in the citations until 1953.
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Oh well. Perhaps it's a useful differentiation to be encouraged. [hopeful look]
Bingley
Bingley
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the math usage is the newest sense of iterate, not showing up in the citations until 1953. tsuwm, that fascinating! In all honesty (and not as a stretch to lead to my next comment) I'd always assumed the converse.
(apparently my prior practice had bee ill-iterate.)
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It should also be noted that the prefix re- has an intensifying function as well as a repetitive one.
Not to mention that in Latin, verbs with prefixes have often not fallen far from their respective trees.
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veteran
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I agree, Wordwind. Only the ill-iterate would use "reiterate".
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