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English is weird
Method of Madness:
Quite some time ago I decided that "dote", when used as a noun, referred to a poison. I still think it makes sense.
LTK:
--- Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 15 Nov 2013, 14:04 ---Shouldn't "denoting" be the opposite of "noting"?
--- End quote ---
There are so many words with the de- prefix that have no relation to their meaning without the prefix, that de- must have (had) a different meaning than to undo something.
Pilchard123:
See also flammable and inflammable.
Akima:
--- Quote from: LTK on 15 Nov 2013, 14:38 ---There are so many words with the de- prefix that have no relation to their meaning without the prefix, that de- must have (had) a different meaning than to undo something.
--- End quote ---
Or de- words that are "rootless" in the sense that the word that is prefixed does not exist. For example: "degauss", when "gauss" is not a verb, and nothing is ever "gaussed".
LTK:
A lot of them are indeed rootless (as far as modern speech is concerned), like delete, derive, defy, deflect, deride, despise, deceive, declare, destroy, demolish, devour, decide, deduce, deject, develop, debate, decant, deprive, deprave, decay and detect, but many also seem to have a root, like devote, detest, deserve, default, decry, defeat, descent, decease, defence, delay, deliberate, deliver, denominate, depart, deploy, depress, design and detail.
Thus ends this demonstration.
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