Transmogrify

Use this forum to suggest Good Words for Professor Beard.
Perry Lassiter
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Transmogrify

Postby Perry Lassiter » Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:14 am

A most unusual word going back to the 17th century.
transmogrify (v.)
"to change completely," 1650s, apparently a perversion of transmigure, from transmigrate, perhaps influenced by modify. Related: Transmogrified; transmogrifying. (Online Etymological Dictionary)
A bit misterious, and I'd love to see Doc bring the heavy artillery on it.
pl

Philip Hudson
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Re: Transmogrify

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:45 am

I second Perry's suggestion of transmogrify as a Good Word. I first encountered this word in a graduate computer science class at SMU in the early 1960s. A lot of computer algorithms qualified as transmogrifications in those days. No doubt some do today, but the discipline has become better disciplined as it has matured.
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Slava
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Re: Transmogrify

Postby Slava » Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:21 pm

Your wish has already been fulfilled:

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword ... ansmogrify
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Perry Lassiter
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Re: Transmogrify

Postby Perry Lassiter » Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:44 pm

Kathleen Parker used the word today in her column. All of a sudden it's all over place.
pl


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