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#86944 11/14/02 02:44 AM
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motive :: motivate

incentive :: incentivate


#86945 11/14/02 08:30 AM
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Whoa! To provide an incentive could be to reward or even to bribe.

I'm not fighting exactly the verbing of incentive--just offering up other possibilities.

I actually like the ring of incentivate.
Like it much better than incentivise.

#86946 11/14/02 10:57 AM
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Reward, to me implies an after-the-fact transaction with no necessary before-the-fact component to it. I would hope I wouldn't have to explain to you why bribe doesn't work. Any of the words based on incentive could be used in a situation where the incentive is an absence of a negative as easily as a presence of a positive. For example, "Do what I say and I won't remove your kneecaps." That would tend to incent me.


#86947 11/14/02 11:10 AM
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It would incense me.


#86948 11/14/02 11:19 AM
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It would incense me.

That, too. I thought there might be a connection, but, no. Incense comes from incendere, to set on fire. Incent from incinere, to sing, sound.


#86949 11/14/02 12:14 PM
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incendere, to set on fire. Incent from incinere, to sing, sound.

ooh, I like this. there is a great piece of music hidden in here...



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#86950 11/14/02 01:06 PM
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Welcome to you, Gasman.
I wish I had something enlightening to add to the marvelous info. above, but I'm afraid this time I'm just jabbering.
Sweet WO'N, good likeness to the word motivate. I have to say that Dr. Bill's post and sjm's response (you always catch on to things, don't you?) were so incomprehensible to me that I just passed right on under them--until I read WW's post and Faldage's response. Faldage, you and dxb both beat me to what I woulda said if I'd gotten here in time! Yes, a reward is after the fact. However, I think the offer of a reward can be an incentive. (Hey--could a deterrent to doing something be a decentive? You know, like the music at the beginning of a church service is the introit and the music at the end is the detroit?)
[dreamy-eyed]Incinere...yes, eta--think of miserere. But this would have to be happy music.


#86951 11/14/02 01:16 PM
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I actually was thinking of the two words: incendere and incinere juxtaposed. fiery singing...



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#86952 11/14/02 01:49 PM
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Ooh! Yeah!


#86953 11/14/02 03:38 PM
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>(Hey--could a deterrent to doing something be a decentive?)

I suppose it could, but we already have disincentive, which seems more... decentive.


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