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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
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We've discussed here before, lo these years ago, the use by a noticable segment of the population of the term "dilemna" instead of "dilemma", but we've never addressed the process by which the second "m" in dilemma became an "n". My American Heritage dictionary contains a usage discussion, but doesn't even mention "dilemna", let alone explain how that mutation came about. So I am wondering about the whens, whys and hows of "dilemna." Could it be something as silly as a typographical error in some crucial work? A process of recognized language evolution (that seems unlikely; going from the easy-to-say to the more difficult is the opposite of the normal process)?
*heh* In my American Heritage, "dilemma" is listed between "dildo" and "diletante". Is that a dilemma? Or the opposite of one? Speaking of which, is there a term to describe a choice between favorable or attractive alternatives?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I thought for many years that it was dilemNa. I would swear that some English teacher along the way had drilled that N into me. so, I was a victim of the evil N....
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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S'obvious it aptually came about by confucian® with Dilemna for Murder :)
oooh, that triad suggest a kind of dictionary sandwich game, doesn't it? (sorta taking off from the headwords version)
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 21 |
Interesting. I've never seen this, or more likely never noticed it. A search reveals that some believe that it was originally spelled dilemna, which is ridiculous if you consider the etymology. Of some interest is the fact that the only dilemna one can find in OED is a citation-misspell (dating from 16th C.) under "horned syllogism". Well, that's certainly the horns of a dilemna.
EDIT: In Rhetoric, "a choice between favorable or attractive alternatives" is called a constructive dilemma; but I'm going to guess that's not exactly what you had in mind.
the Contrarian
the Contrarian
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I wondered if this might have been due to the influence of some other *mna term. a quick OneLook suggested alumna and lemna(!); but both of these are pronounced with a -na, and the latter (=duckweed) is anything but common. and there's always damn
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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dilemma just looked incorrect to me, which is why I think I stuck to the N for so long. lemma seems slangish, like "lemme outa here!", so guilt by association, I guess... dilemNa was so much more erudite.
[squonk]
formerly known as etaoin...
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journeyman
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journeyman
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>[squonk] ????
I have never seen or heard "dilemna".
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (1929- )
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Me either, vanguard. Where do these people come up with these things? 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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> >[squonk] ????
oh, I don't know, just one of those sounds you make when you're kinda barking up the silly tree...
formerly known as etaoin...
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