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On Thursday 20 May 2010 15:46:50 Neil Bothwick wrote: |
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> On Thu, 20 May 2010 14:07:49 +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote: |
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> > > The root word it derives from basically means "to make smaller or |
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> > > less important". |
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> > |
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> > Actually, in the Mother Tongue, it means "to express disapproval |
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> > of" (I quote an Oxford English dictionary). |
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> |
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> You quote one of the three definitions in the OED. The second is |
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> "plead earnestly against", which applies here. The third is "pray |
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> against" which applies just before removal fro the tree :) |
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I don't have access to the OED; only to a NODE*, which gives only the |
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definition I quoted. I assume from that that the other two are minor |
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usages. And I still think "express disapproval of" is the meaning here. |
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* New Oxford Dictionary of English, which I have seen severe criticisms |
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of. |
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-- |
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Rgds |
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Peter. |
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