|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
In a communication to some church folk, I used the word "hecticity" to describe the state in which too many people find themselves as the Feast of the Nativity approaches. What ought to be a calm and measured and reflective time (the essence of Advent) turns out to be frenetic and exhausting ... a time of hecticity. As so often happens, one recipient challenged the use of this term, going so far as to suggest that it is "not a word." Your sense?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
http://www.langmaker.com/db/eng_hecticity.htmI rather like hecticacious; but then I would, wouldn't I?! (the noun form would be hecticaciousness, I suppose.)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Thanks for the link. I wouldn't pronounce it that way.
Hecticacious is nice, too.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
no, it should be pronounced /hec TIS ity/. -ron o.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
it should be pronounced /hec TIS ity/.
On this important, nay, earthshaking matter, tsuwm and I are in perfect accord.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
In reply to:
it should be pronounced /hec TIS ity/.
On this important, nay, earthshaking matter, tsuwm and I are in perfect accord.
D'accord! How else would one say it?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
earthshaking
ain't you talking tecticity there?
good word, Padre. happy holidays!
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
The Langmaker website has it HECK-tis-ity.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
>The Langmaker website has it HECK-tis-ity.
Well, I say to "niflheim with that!"
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
The Feast of the Nativity (the essence of Advent) Sorry Padre, I know the guy who decides what is a word and he said that "hecticity" is not a word. But then he said, "What the heck, it's Christmas, don't sweat the small stuff, but you might ask the Good Reverend why does he not put a "the" in the front of "Advent"? But I told him it was none of my business.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
As so often happens, one recipient challenged the use of this term, going so far as to suggest that it is "not a word." Your sense?
He was too busy to give it a second thought, Father Steve.
Actually, I think it's a valuable, thought-provoking coinage.
I would like to suggest one wee change to marry it up with the endless, wearying round of activities, both solemn and festive, we associate with this season.
Why not call it "hectivities"?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
I believe I will actually use "hectivities" during announcements at church this morning.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Of course this all started with moveable type. Gutenberg was setting the text of the Bible and reached into his font box. Alas, he had run out of the letter, causing him to mutter to himself, "Where the hecticity when you need one?"
TEd
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
"Where the hecticity when you need one?"Gutenburg wasn't the type to run out of letters, TEd Rem. He was font of saying so himself.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
one recipient challenged the use of this term, going so far as to suggest that it is "not a word."
Feel free to ask this naysayer my question, "What does it take for a collection of phonemes to qualify as a word?"
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
783
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|