[lit-ideas] Re: Obsolete
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 12:42:11 -0500 (EST)
Mmm... Interesting. I guess you could argue against your opponent trying to
make a case for the etymology of 'obsolete'. This from Etymology Online:
obsolete. 1570s, from L. obsoletus "grown old, worn out," pp. of
obsolescere "fall into disuse," probably from ob "away" (see ob-) + solere "to
be
used to, be accustomed" (see insolent).
This can be qualified with the Online Latin Dictionary:
obsŏlētus , a, um, P. a., v. obsolesco I. fin. obsŏlesco , lēvi, lētum,
3, I. v. inch. n. [obs-olesco], to wear out, to grow old, decay, fall into
disuse, lose value, become obsolete (class.; “syn. exolesco): his (verbis)
oportet, si possis, non uti: sic enim obsolescent,” Varr. L. L. 9, § 16
Müll.: “haec ne obsolescerent, renovabam, cum licebat, legendo,” Cic. Ac. 1,
3, 11: “obsolevit jam oratio,” id. Imp. Pomp. 17, 52: “vectigal, quod in
bello non obsolescat,” id. Agr. 1, 7, 21: “laus,” Tac. A. 4, 26: “enituit
aliquis in bello, sed obsolevit in pace,” Plin. Pan. 4, 5.—Hence, obsŏlē
tus , a, um, P. a.
A. Lit., old, worn out, thrown off: “erat veste obsoletā,” Liv. 27, 34: “
vestitus,” Nep. Ages. 8, 2: “amiculum,” Curt. 6, 9, 25: “vestitu
obsoletiore, Cig. Agr. 2, 5, 13: homo obsoletus,” in a worn-out dress, id.
Pis.
36, 89: “tectum,” old, ruinous, Hor. C. 2, 10, 6: “verba,” obsolete, Cic.
de Or. 3, 37, 150: “obsoleta et vulgaria,” id. Quint. 18, 56.—
B. Transf., common, ordinary, poor, mean, low: “crimina,” Cic. Verr. 2,
5, 44, § 177: “gaudia,” Liv. 30, 42.—Comp.: “obsoletior oratio,” a too
ordinary, too negligent style, Cic. de Or. 3, 9, 33: “honores,” of little
worth, Nep. Milt. 6, 2: “color,” Col. 4, 30: “o nec paternis obsoleta
sordibus,” Hor. Epod. 17, 46: “dextra obsoleta sanguine,” defiled, Sen. Agam.
977.
—Hence, adv.: obsŏlētē , in an old or worn-out style, poorly, meanly: “
paulo tamen obsoletius vestitus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 58, § 152.
Not sure why the OED online changed 'practiced' to 'produced'. The
etymology suggests that it is indeed a matter of 'practice' more than
'production'
(note the cognate 'solere', and 'insolent'). Incidentally, so seems your
opponent, the Helsinki person ('insolent').
Good luck and report if you win!
Cheers,
Speranza
----
In a message dated 12/1/2011 1:02:40 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
"I got into a debate on an Olympus camera site over the meaning of the
word “obsolete.” My opponent (he is from Helsinki and lives in London)
referred to the Online OED which says, according to him, “that which is no
longer produced or used.” He concludes that Olympus DSLR cameras that are no
longer in production are obsolete. I referred to my 1971 copy of the OED
which says, “that which is no longer practiced or used,” and argued that
since all the DSLRs produced since the E-1 in 2003 are still in use and
performing as they were designed to perform and taking photos as good as any
dslr
still in production, they are not obsolete.
He then declared my copy of the OED obsolete. Without getting into the
whole argument, I’d like to hear your theory on why the Online OED would be
different from my 1971 edition on this definition? Why would “practiced”
be replaced by “produced”?"
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