On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 10:02:14AM -0600, Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. wrote:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disconnect
I don't know how long the noun usage has been around, but I remember hearing
it as a child (20 years ago), so I'd say you just need to update your
dictionary. (1913 Websters, really?)
I've never heard of "a disconnect". It is the opposite of connect.
(Yep, some people still say incorrectly - "unmount" when it should be
"dismount")
AIUI, the education system 20 years ago had some flaws which have
shown themselves in the last few years.
Also, particularly where I come from (U.S.; specifically "The South"), English
speakers don't follow the formal rules of grammar well. So, nouns get
IOW, " they make up your own rules".
verbed, and verbs get nouned, words and phrases get abbreviated, mangled, and
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
Huh?
misunderstood, and the language evolves. (There are probably some more
Yeah, apparently "awful" originally meant "full of awe".
According to "The Pocket Oxford Dictionary" Compiled by F. G. Fowler &
H. W. Fowler; (1st ed 1924 Reprinted with corrections 1947, 1949, 1952,
1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960):
awe. 1. n. Reverential fear (stand in a. of).
2. v.t. (-wable). Inspire with a.
...
awful a. Inspiring, worthy of a.; (colloq.) notable in its kind (an
awful bore, relief).
awfully adv., (esp., colloq) very (awfully good of you). [E]
serious errors in a 1913 dictionary than not having the noun form of some
verbs.)
Are the errors in the dictionary or is it that a high percentage of the
population are misusing/abusing the {words,rules} of english?