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Settle an argument. I wrote a post to a group in which I participate in which I reported that the maple trees outside my window are deciduating at a great rate. Several of the wags in the group challenged the existence of the verb deciduate. I assumed a straight face and responded that it descended from the Latin "deciduare" meaning to lose one's leaves. This, of course, I made up out of whole cloth. But isn't there such a word and, if not, shouldn't there be?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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strangely enough, when I orient myself around it, I like it. just may use it today... 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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OED:
Deciduate. adj.,
a. Possessing a decidua; belonging to the Deciduata.
b. Of the nature of a decidua: said of a placenta which is cast off at parturition.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hey, I do pretty good at making stuff up! Thank you, Fal.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I don't find any deciduo, -are but I do see decido, -ere, fall down, fall off, die.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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From the title of your post, Father Steve, I guessed "losing leaves." So it is a great word, IMHO!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Thank you, Anna. I tried it out on some people at church this morning and every one of them knew what I/it meant. That's a pretty fair test for a proposed word.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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every one of them knew what I/it meantI can hardly wait for it to show up on the TVRWorstWords list ( http://www.vocabula.com/VRworstwords.htm). In fact, if it doesn't show up within the week I shall submit it myself: "Oh what a horror that this perfectly good adjective, of which not one in a thousand of us would know the meaning much less have need, has been ruthlessly verbed and dragged from its pristine meaning into one of a completely unrelated field and, what is worse, be given a meaning that is instantly understandable and eminently useful."
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