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From: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: sci.lang
Subject: Re: "Presently" ?= "Now"
Message-ID: <3954@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Oct-86 15:50:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.3954
Posted: Tue Oct 21 15:50:11 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Oct-86 06:32:26 EDT
References: <3489@utcsri.UUCP> <7234@utzoo.UUCP> <3494@utcsri.UUCP>
Reply-To: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Organization: University of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Sci.
Lines: 36

(It seems odd that this should come up so soon after my little
diatribe on meanings in soc.misc, for I used both meanings of
`presently' as an example.)

In article <3494@utcsri.UUCP> hogg@utcsri.UUCP (John Hogg) writes:
>It's amazing that the English language hasn't toppled over long ago,
>considering how far back some of the rot started.

It has a very large base: no matter how you tug upon the words,
the language as a whole moves rather more slowly.  But change is
not `rot'.  Changes occur in every spoken language.  Too-rapid
change is confusing (and the proper rate of change is a matter of
taste), but change must be expected.

>The meaning "at once" [for `presently'] was first recorded in 1430
>and the current "correct" meaning of "soon" was a late starter in
>1566.

The years between changes here show how stable was the adverbial
form of `present'.  Less obvious words would wander through several
meanings much faster in those days, I am told.  The availability
of printed works slowed this process drastically, at least among
the educated.

>There otta bea law: no poster should be allowed to fulminate about any
>word until she or he has looked it up in the OED.  This would of course
>severely restrict postings, but information content might go up.

This is a bit harsh:  There are other dictionaries, and not all
are bad :-).  If, however, you wish not to make a fool of yourself,
you would do well to check the OED.  (I will have to obtain a copy
for myself one of these days.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
UUCP:	seismo!umcp-cs!chris
CSNet:	chris@umcp-cs		ARPA:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu