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Posted By: Bingley digladiations - 06/10/03 08:45 AM
Another word from "Crotchet Castle":

In this manner they glided over the face of the waters discussing every thing and settling nothing. Mr Mac Quedy and the Reverend Doctor Folliott had many digladiations on political economy: wherein, each in his own view, Doctor Folliott demolished Mr Mac Quedy's science, and Mr Mac Quedy demolished Doctor Folliott's objections. We would print these dialogues if we thought any one would read them: but the world is not yet ripe for this haute sagesse Pantagrueline. We must, therefore, content our selves with an échantillon of one of the Reverend Doctor's perorations.


Bingley
Posted By: consuelo Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 10:00 AM
Made me think of digging up bulbs in the fall so they wouldn't freeze

Posted By: wwh Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 12:53 PM
"Digladiation" sounds as though it was derived from "gladius" meaning sword, hence a sword fight, a duel.

Posted By: Capfka Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 12:57 PM
And that's precisely what it means.

Posted By: Faldage Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 01:34 PM
And consuelo made the connection to gladiolus, so called because of its sword-shaped leaves.

Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 02:11 PM
why digladiation, rather than simply "gladiation"?

Posted By: Faldage Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 02:13 PM
why digladiation

It takes two to tangle.

Posted By: Wordwind Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 03:40 PM
:)

So a three-way fight would be a trigladiation, and on to the tetragladiation!

Just like we were discussing a few weeks back the trilemma and tetralemma!

Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 04:34 PM
how about duodecagladiation?


so gladiation would be an un-specified number of tanglers?

Posted By: tsuwm Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 04:55 PM
di[s]gladiate - [following the usual L. style of dropping the s from dis- before certain consonants] To fight like gladiators; to contend fiercely; to dispute violently.

so dis- here could be acting as an intensifier.

Posted By: Wordwind Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 05:18 PM
Nothing like intensifying a fight among gladiators.

Posted By: wwh Re: digladiations - 06/10/03 05:18 PM
"so dis- here could be acting as an intensifier."
Dear tsuwm: I would expect "disgladiation" meaning to force the opponent to drop his sword. I was a lousy fencer, but I was good at getting the other guy's foil to fall. Bad form, though.


Posted By: tsuwm Re: intensifiers - 06/10/03 06:12 PM
>Nothing like intensifying a fight among gladiators.

see the dis- in dissever, for an instance.

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