[SpamCop-Social] Re: If you were all powerful

[kram]

In news:b1uiq0$dgn$1,

Neil said something that sounded like:

| My pocket OED lists 'to destroy one-tenth of', first,  and *informal*
| 'destory a large proportion of' second.  I guess it depends on your
| dictionary and edition of choice, for which comes first.
|
| As for the original meaning, and the history of the development of
| the word, perhaps Antoine would like to share his opinion?


Well - Tony always has the last word on etymology :) - but here is my
argument

http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latin.htm
decimare

decim.are            V      1 1 PRES ACTIVE  INF 0 X
decim.are            V      1 1 PRES PASSIVE IND 2 S      Early
decim.are            V      1 1 PRES PASSIVE IMP 2 S
decimo, decimare, decimavi, decimatus  V  TRANS    lesser
choose by lot every tenth man (for punishment); make tithe offering (to a
god)
Syncope   r => v.r
Syncopated perfect often drops the 'v' and contracts vowel
decimav.ere          V      1 1 PERF ACTIVE  IND 3 P
decimo, decimare, decimavi, decimatus  V  TRANS    lesser
choose by lot every tenth man (for punishment); make tithe offering (to a
god)

--
KK
==
Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.