Register Log In Wordsmith Talk Forums General Topics Q&A about words Inform--new meaning Search Advanced Forum Search Forums Calendar Active Threads

Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Inform--new meaning #178400 07/29/2008 4:00 AM Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 BaselAnnie stranger BaselAnnie stranger Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 "Inform" used to mean "to tell, to give information to, to notify." Increasingly, I am seeing it used to mean (I think) "to affect, to determine," as in this opening sentence from a recent blog entry: "Although my blog entries rarely focus on my religious beliefs and practice, I like to think that those beliefs and practice inform many of my entries, as they inform most of my life." Am I right in thinking that this is a new meaning of the word "inform"? When and how did this new meaning get started? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Inform--new meaning BaselAnnie #178401 07/29/2008 4:21 AM Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 390 कहीं &... latishya enthusiast latishya enthusiast Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 390 कहीं &...  Originally Posted By: BaselAnnie "Inform" used to mean "to tell, to give information to, to notify." Increasingly, I am seeing it used to mean (I think) "to affect, to determine," as in this opening sentence from a recent blog entry: "Although my blog entries rarely focus on my religious beliefs and practice, I like to think that those beliefs and practice inform many of my entries, as they inform most of my life." Am I right in thinking that this is a new meaning of the word "inform"? When and how did this new meaning get started? Whether or not this is a new meaning depends on how you define "new". The relevant definition is listed first in the online OED: 1. a. trans. To put into (material) form or shape; to form, shape, frame, mould, fashion. Obs. 1590 SPENSER F.Q. III. vi. 8 Infinite shapes of creatures..Informed in the mud on which the Sunne hath shynd. 1621 BURTON Anat. Mel. II. iii. v. (1651) 345 If he found her, he may as happily find another; if he made her..he may as cheap inform another. 1643 SIR T. BROWNE Relig. Med. I. §35 And so Omniety informed Nullity into an Essence. So if 400 years and counting qualifies as "new", then yes, this is a new meaning of the word. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Inform--new meaning latishya #178402 07/29/2008 5:03 AM Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Zed Pooh-Bah Zed Pooh-Bah Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Isn't there a saying about being so old it's new again. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Inform--new meaning Zed #178411 07/29/2008 3:37 PM Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 132 goofy member goofy member Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 132 I'd say that the usage BaselAnnie has noticed is M-W's 2: to give character or essence to <the principles which inform modern teaching> b: to be the characteristic quality of : animate <the compassion that informs her work> This is not obsolete. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

Default Style BlackNTan Drab eBay GooG v2 infopop new dark new light original dark original stock rounded corners Slate snow sunny dropshadow theblues Touch Of Grey UBB.threads UBB.threads - Dark UBB.threads - Light UBBCentral UBBCentral - Crimson UBBCentral - Lime UBBCentral - Marshmallow UBBCentral - Mocha UBBCentral - Zen UBBT77 UBBT77 - Dark ubbthreads ubbthreads-dark Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith Talk