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B&M OED defines it as "desiring strife or differences."




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We'll, it's not a printing error.

The work is rich in the language of ambiguity and treachery. Take something as simple as the adjective "diversivolent," which one of those haughty lawyers invokes. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it means "desiring strife or differences." The example of usage the OED cites is, not surprisingly, Webster and this play. It's a good bet that the word he reached for to characterize these dubious endeavors can be found nowhere else in literature.



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say, Fal, do you suppose Hyd just enjoys the sound of this own keystrokes?!






tswum, I read and made note of Faldage's post, and the source, but I could not at first find it. When I found the above discussion in an article, I posted it as corroboration of the vague and still unclarified "desiring strife" definition for "diversivolent".

My last post in no way proves that I overlooked Faldage's post.

And the quote does add to Faldage's citation, and the discussion of the word, since the source quoted postulates that perhaps Webster's use of the word is the only one in all literature—which would (if true) add to the file on diversivolent the honor of being a hapax legomenon.

Discussing words is what these forums are for.

tswum, why go out of your way to be rude when you have insufficient evidence to prove me guilty of what is, at any rate, a trifling error?

Last edited by Hydra; 12/18/06 11:54 PM.