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The word cardinal ( link) has two meanings as an adjective ('of foremost importance', 'colored dark red') and five as a noun ('a Roman Catholic rank just below Pope', 'a dark red', 'a bird', 'a woman's cloak', 'a number'). The Late Latin meaning of cardinalis 'pivotal, principal' differs from the Classical Latin meaning 'of a hinge' from [i]cardo, cardinis, 'hinge'. As I pondered cardinal, it dawned on me that there are two kinds of words in a person's lexicon: let's call 'em alpha words and omega words for want of a better name. Alpha words comprise something like 95% of the words in our vocabularies. Of these words, nearly 90% of them have more than one meaning. In fact, omega words, the kind people collect into lists but rarely use, only have a single meaning simply because people don't really use them. As soon as you start using words, the meanings tend to split and shift.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I have an "omega" word: velleity.
E.G. "I have not the velleity to continue this conversation".
Is that sort of what you mean???
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hinge: " that on which something turns or depends". From hinge to cardinal, principal,chief, the Church Cardinals and then the red comes in and then the red bird takes the name. So if the Cardinals had chosen blue the blue jay might have been cardinal now. " velleity"is certainly totally new to me: -Volition at its lowest level. ( sounds stimulating  ) -A mere wish or inclination. " volition" brand new to me too.
Last edited by BranShea; 12/03/09 08:22 PM.
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enthusiast
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As soon as you start using words, the meanings tend to split and shift.
thank you for this. a good point.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Cardinal from the Latin word for "hinge", the hinge on which
the church pivots, revolves, etc., in absence of a pope.
And they wore red. I wonder if the bird here in America
reminded early settlers of the clerics and were so named, or
were the clerics named because of the red and the word hinge.
My guess is the bird followed the clerics. But it's just a guess.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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Is that sort of what you mean?
Yes.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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hinge on which the church pivots, revolves, etc.
I was not saying that the various meanings of cardinal are hard to sequence, just that most words we use have multiple meanings. Polysemy is looked at askance by many of the nitpickologists I have had the misfortune to collide with.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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From the "other OED":
cardinal (n.)
1125, "one of the ecclesiastical princes who constitute the sacred college," from L. cardinalis "principal, chief, essential," from cardo (gen. cardinis) "that on which something turns or depends," originally "door hinge." Ecclesiastical use began for the presbyters of the chief (cardinal) churches of Rome. The adj. sense of "chief, principal" in Eng. is attested from c.1440. Cardinal points (1549) are "north, south, east, west." The cardinal virtues (c.1300) were divided into natural (justice prudence, temperance, fortitude) and theological (faith, hope, charity). The N.Amer. songbird (Cardinalis virginianus) is attested from 1678, so named for its resemblance to the red robes of the cardinals. Polysemy is looked at askance ?? In specific instances only, surely? The (any) dictionary is FULL of words with more than one meaning; they aren't arguing that authority, are they? Edit: omega words Words of last resort? 
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