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I can feel a subtle difference but can't articulate it.
I think we hear more than "feel" a difference, Faldage.
"Unrelenting" sounds more implacable, more indomitable, than "relentless" - just as "uncaring" sounds more unfeeling than "careless".
Anything "un" is totally the opposite of the word to which it is conjoined, whereas "less", by itself, is not an absence of something, only a diminution of it.
Etymologists may agree that "unrelenting" and "relentless" have exactly the same meaning, but they do not 'sound' as though they have exactly the same meaning.
To put it another way, "relentless" sounds as though it is less than completely unrelenting.
Etymologically speaking, the difference is negligible, or non-existent.
Oratorically speaking, the difference is profound.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted A pair of pairs AnnaStrophic 12/19/03 03:24 PM Re: A pair of pairs Faldage 12/19/03 03:30 PM Re: A pair of pairs grapho 12/19/03 11:03 PM Re: A pair of pairs wwh 12/19/03 04:08 PM Re: A pair of pairs Flatlander 12/19/03 07:41 PM Re: A pair of pairs shanks 12/19/03 08:26 PM Re: A pair of pairs Jackie 12/20/03 02:04 PM Re: A pair of pairs grapho 12/20/03 02:40 PM Re: A pair of pairs of troy 12/20/03 03:46 PM Re: A pair of pairs grapho 12/20/03 04:13 PM chronic ruthlessness grapho 12/20/03 04:19 PM Speaking of pairs... musick 12/20/03 04:41 PM discombobulation grapho 12/20/03 04:59 PM Re: Speaking of pairs... grapho 12/20/03 05:13 PM Re: A pair of pairs maahey 12/21/03 05:40 PM Re: A pair of pairs Jackie 12/21/03 05:45 PM Re: A pair of pairs grapho 12/21/03 08:07 PM Re: A pair of pairs AnnaStrophic 12/22/03 08:58 PM Re: A pair of pairs musick 12/22/03 09:22 PM Re: A pair of pairs grapho 12/23/03 12:16 AM
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