PORTENT

[tcward]

portent
1563, from M.Fr. portente, from L. portentum "a sign, omen," from neut. of portentus, pp. of portendre (see portend). Portentous is recorded from c.1540.

[Hey, BD, "portendre" is missing a semipenultimate vowel, isn't it? ...I thought I just made up "semipenultimate", but I see others have been using it, too. I hope they've been using it right! ]

Omens or portents are signs encountered fortuitously that are believed to foretell the future. Their interpretation is a form of divination.

-Tim

[Slava]

Treated here: http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/portent

I don't believe I've ever come upon it used in the second sense, to tell the truth. Can anyone cite a source they've read? Without cheating and looking it up on the Internet, that is.

[LukeJavan8]

semipenultimate sounds like some sort of oxymoron.

[Slava]

semipenultimate sounds like some sort of oxymoron.

I think it's a super-corruption. A lot of people think that penultimate means "final," so they've added the semi- to make it sound like it's almost the last.

Dolts.

[LukeJavan8]

I think you're probably right. Next to last works for me.

I have not seen "portend" used in any way other than
above.

[Slava]

I think you're probably right. Next to last works for me.

But, as that's what penultimate means in the first place, the semi-isn't necessary. Thus, what it should mean is antepenultimate. The semi- is simply wrong. However, as we all know languages evolve, we can do nothing about this. Except whine.

[LukeJavan8]

Love it! Whine?

I wish I knew how to type a whine, I'd do it.
Language, totally got to love it.