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#208524 12/28/12 05:46 PM
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Letter to the Times,London, Oct. 14, 1939:

Sir,

If ordinary English usage counts for anything, an evacuee is a person who has been evacued, whatever that may be, as a trustee is one who has been trusted; for 'evacuee' cannot be thought of as a feminine French form, as 'employee' is by some.

Where are we going to stop if 'evacuee' is accepted as good English? Is a terrible time coming in which a woman, much dominated by her husband, will be called a dominee? Will she often be made a humiliee by his rough behavior and sometimes prostree with grief after an unsought quarrel?

Must sensitive people suffer the mutilation of their language until they die and are ready to become cremees?

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

F.H.J. Newton


----please, draw me a sheep----
LukeJavan8 #208530 12/28/12 09:01 PM
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Oh, noes!!! People are using the language in a manner different from the way I do. Make them stop, mommy!!!

Faldage #208531 12/28/12 10:25 PM
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Well, despite Mr Newtons protestations, (he, of course is a protestee)evacuee became the accepted word for someone who had been "evacuated." The alternative would have been, "evacuatee," I suppose, which is ugly and difficult to say. The English have always, I think, modified words to fit easy speech - and a good thing too.


I'm immortal until proven otherwise
LukeJavan8 #208535 12/29/12 04:08 PM
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Must sensitive people suffer the mutilation of their language until they die and are ready to become cremees?

Sensitive people should learn some historical linguistics which ought to prepare them for the real world of language. The A-H dictionary does not even have a usage note where such peeves go; M-W collegiate cites 1918 as its entry into the language. (Looking at its timeline in Google's NGram, shows that 1939, that annus mirabilis) was indeed when it took off. Wonder what FHJ Newton was doing then? Being demobbed and getting ready to bash heads in the General Strike.

My personal favorite of the -ee words is alienee 'one to whom ownership of property has been transferred'.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
LukeJavan8 #208640 01/02/13 02:00 AM
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A
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Quote:
'evacuee' cannot be thought of as a feminine French form

Why not? It is a feminine French form.

LukeJavan8 #208643 01/02/13 02:18 AM
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Not in English, it ain't.

LukeJavan8 #208644 01/02/13 02:22 AM
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Probably not in French, either. We have others who could comment on that with more authority.


Nope. I was wrong. It is good French as long as you put the accents agues in the right places.

Faldage #208651 01/02/13 12:04 PM
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évacuée. Not claiming authority but yes, strip them of the accents aigus/ accents agues and it's English.

As goes for this book title: Protegee

BranShea #208652 01/02/13 12:27 PM
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évacuée

In the sense of 'a (female) person who has been expelled or evacuated' from the verb évacuer. The French dictionary I consulted says it's a military term and that it's been around since at least the late 17th century. It seems possible that the French military term predates the English one.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
LukeJavan8 #208656 01/02/13 01:21 PM
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Etymology Online says it dates to 1934 in English. And, yes, we got it from the French, so blame them.

Last edited by Faldage; 01/02/13 01:21 PM.
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