Decide

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Dr. Goodword
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Decide

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:21 am

• decide •

Pronunciation: dee-saidHear it!

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: 1. To settle conclusively all contention and uncertainly about, cut off debate because a conclusion has been reached. 2. To determine an outcome: "Harry's homer decided the game." 3. To make up your mind.

Notes: This word comes bearing a plethora of derivationally related words, including a noun, decision, and an adjective, decisive. We have at least two adverbs for this verb, decisively, but also decidedly. This is not an exhaustive list.

In Play: This word comes in transitive and intransitive flavors. The first and second senses allow a direct object: 1. "The supreme court decided the case." 2. "Buddy was happy that his vote decided the election of his girlfriend as sixth-grade president." The third meaning is intransitive, requiring the preposition on: "Henry decided on the boat at home." Notice that on is required by the verb without telling where the decision was made.

Word History: You know the grisly company of homicide, patricide, and fratricide. Of course you do. But did you know that decide belongs to this motley company? Decide comes from Old French decider, inherited from Latin decidere "to cut off, decide", composed of de- "off of, from" + caedere "to cut". In the history of prodigy we saw how an accented A in Latin could become I when combined with another element in a derived word. Here we see it again. It is related to Latin homicida "murderer" from homo "man" + -cidium "killer". Cidium came from the verb caedere "to cut (down)" and transitioned to "kill" the same way cut down transitioned from its original meaning to "kill", as in to be cut down in the prime of life. (We have decided to thank David Lloyd-Jones for thinking of us when the connection of decide with homicide occurred to him.)
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LukeJavan8
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Re: Decide

Postby LukeJavan8 » Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:37 pm

Strange bedfellows: decide/patricide.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Slava
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Re: Decide

Postby Slava » Mon Nov 04, 2013 3:21 pm

I'm concerned about the thanks section. I'm not so sure I'd appreciate having someone think of me when they think of homicide. :shock:
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Re: Decide

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Nov 04, 2013 5:28 pm

I can't decide what I think of this Good Word.
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Slava
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Re: Decide

Postby Slava » Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:52 pm

An addition to the non-exhaustive list of relatives: wasn't there some person out there not all that long ago who called himself "the decider"?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Re: Decide

Postby MTC » Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:53 pm

Alexander decided to cut through difficulties by cutting the Gordian Knot with a single decisive stroke. Did this legendary event really happen? You decide.

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Re: Decide

Postby Slava » Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:55 pm

If I decide not to decide, have I still made a decision?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Re: Decide

Postby gailr » Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:55 pm

An addition to the non-exhaustive list of relatives: wasn't there some person out there not all that long ago who called himself "the decider"?
My thoughts as well, as I noted the strict definition.
Alexander decided to cut through difficulties by cutting the Gordian Knot with a single decisive stroke. Did this legendary event really happen? You decide.
This prompted me to look up commonalities between incisive/incision and decisive/decision and excise/excision.

Excise (v) is from the same family as the above, but excise (n) is derived from census (taxes). I think it could certainly be used with the verb form, though, in light of those who feel "If you tax me [at all!] do I not bleed?"
:wink:


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