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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322 |
I just bought myself a very nifty necklace: it's a small level on a chain. Now everyone can tell at a glance how off-balance I am. But it got me wonderin': why are things UNbalanced instead of IMbalanced? And why do we talk of IMbalance instead of UNbalance? You'd think we could use the same prefix for both! (Well, maybe if you're more level-headed, you wouldn't think so, but I do.)
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
i guess its good that its a necklace and not some sort of hair pin-- you wouldn't want people to think you didn't have your head on straight-- or that you weren't leval headed..
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Joined: Mar 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
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Can't think of answers, boronia. First guess was that imbalance might refer to people and unbalance to things. But it doesn't seem to hold up consistently.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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Imbalance = a comparison between entities -vs- unbalanced = a single entitie's internal struggle? 
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 34
newbie
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newbie
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 34 |
why are things UNbalanced instead of IMbalanced?
"Imbalance" is a lack of balance while "unbalance" is the absence of balance.
You can usually correct for an "imbalance". If you become "unbalanced", you are headed for a fall.
Curious that we can mobilize troops but not unmobilize them. We have to disband them or perhaps demobilize them.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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and debalance? 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Curious that we can mobilize troops but not unmobilize them. We have to disband them or perhaps demobilize them.
Hence, the military slang verb "demob".
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Not adding anything to the topic ... just a comment to say I LOVE your necklace. It is really original. Is the level made of metal or wood?
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
The prefixes un- and in- (leading to im) are cognate according to the OED, but they reached the English language by different (germanic vs. latin) paths. Due to this, as it often happens, each carved out its niche. Again according to OED, imbalance was "Orig. a technical term in Ophthalmology", which then took on a more general use, my guess is because -mb- is less demanding for the tongue than -nb-.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322 |
thanks, belM -- the glass cylinder of the level is in a silver casing - no wood
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
I think it shows that you (like the gal in the song My Gal Sal) are always on the level!
Did you purchase it in a local spot or, by chance, in a catalogue. If a catalogue, would you share?
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