Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]thank you for the explanation simon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 12:01 AM Subject: RE: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't write English good" > They know what "complimentary" means, so they use it for both > complimentary AND complementary. I have to admit that I didn't use or > understand the term complementary until I learned about DNA replication > back in the 1960's. > > Jeffery Smith > New Orleans, LA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of animal > Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 4:54 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't write > English good" > > help > <snip> > But as long as people don't know what > > complementary means, I guess we should go with the one word they do > > understand. > <snip> > What " one word they do understand " do you mean here? > Thats what i ment > simon > > ---- Original Message ----- > From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com> > To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> > Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 11:44 PM > Subject: RE: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't write > English good" > > > > Complementary refers to different things working together because each > > lacks what the other has. One could say that his 35mm lens complements > > his 90mm lens because the two have different roles both of which are > > necessary to him. In DNA, one half-strand acts as a template for the > > other half-strand. The two half strands are completely non-identical, > > but one acts like a template for making the other much like a negative > > acts like a template for making a positive. > > > > When someone says that my silver Nokton complements my olive body R2, > it > > might mean that the two dissimilar pieces look good together (like a > > blue sport coat complements tan slacks). But saying that a silver > Nokton > > compliments an olive R2 implies that the Nokton is telling the R2 > "Hey, > > you're lookin' good!" > > > > Jeffery Smith > > New Orleans, LA > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org > > [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > animal > > Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 4:36 PM > > To: Leica Users Group > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't write > > English good" > > > > Now you have me confused i do know what complementary means but have > no > > clue > > what one word you mean. > > Would you explain? > > Simon Jessurun > > amsterdam > > the netherlands > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com> > > To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> > > Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 11:13 PM > > Subject: RE: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't write > > English good" > > > > > > > Which is what I indicated earlier...if people do it incorrectly long > > > enough, then the norm becomes the rule even if it is incorrect. And > > I'm > > > not using "old printed dictionaries". I learned it correctly 40 > years > > > ago. > > > > > > But I am a conservative in language, and would like things to remain > > as > > > they were, not as they are mispronounced. I even shun removing the > > final > > > comma from phrases such as "Larry, Moe, and Curly" as deleting that > > > second comma always means that I have to go back and reread the > > sentence > > > again. > > > > > > I suppose that, before I expire, I will be reading about > complimentary > > > DNA. I suppose that means that adenine and guanine will be saying > nice > > > things about thymine and cytosine, or that you can have the DNA > free, > > > compliments of the house. But as long as people don't know what > > > complementary means, I guess we should go with the one word they do > > > understand. > > > > > > Jeffery Smith > > > New Orleans, LA > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org > > > [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > > > Jonathan Borden > > > Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 3:59 PM > > > To: Leica Users Group > > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was,Even us natives don't > write > > > English good" > > > > > > > > > Marc James Small wrote: > > > > > > > At 12:57 PM 5/9/04 -0500, Jeffery Smith wrote: > > > >> I'm more comfortable with the music version pronunciation. If I > say > > > >> "fort", someone invariably corrects me. > > > >> > > > > > > > > These are two different words, though both descend from the Latin > > root > > > > "forti" meaning strong or forceful. > > > > > > > > One word comes through the Italian and means "with great force"; > it > > > is > > > > used as a musical directive and is pronounced "for-tey" in USian > > > > English. > > > > > > > > The other comes through Medi?val French and is a survival of the > > > > earlier > > > > "campus forte" or "situs forte", both meaning a fortified > location. > > > > Our > > > > Modern English word "fort" derives from this word. And, yes, when > > > > "forte" > > > > is used to describe an outstanding quality or a strong > > qualification, > > > > it is > > > > pronounced, "fort" in Modern English. > > > > > > > > > In Modern American English, at least among the people I hang around > > > with, an outstanding quality or strong qualification is referred to > as > > > a "forte" and pronounced "fort-ay" > > > > > > Let's see, searching Wordnet we get: > > > http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn?stage=1&word=forte > > > > > > > > > > > Check out any decent dictionary, from the modern versions of > Webster > > > > or the > > > > American Heritage Dictionary or, of course, the Oxford English > > > > Dictionary. > > > > > > The way folks speak in Princeton N.J. is fine by me. I hark from the > > > parts William Webster harks from, and if he were alive today I'm > sure > > > he'd be using this sense of the term "forte". > > > > > > In any case any linguist worth his or her salt would accept that > when > > > common usage in a community differs from some 'old printed > dictionary, > > > that its time to update the dictionary. Language is alive, and > changes > > > with time. > > > > > > Now let's look at what the American Heritage Dictionary says ... I > > > found this: > > > > > > http://www.bartleby.com/64/C007/086.html > > > > > > > > > > > So, Jefferey, allow them to correct you. Then you can correct > THEM. > > > > > > Well you can correct, but that would be contrary to the most common > > > usage by contemporary Americans. Since the reason we have language > is > > > to communicate, I think its best to pronounce things the way they > make > > > the most sense to the most people. see > > > http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=forte On the other hand: > > > http://www.vocabula.com/archives/VRJune00.htm > > > > > > Jonathan > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Leica Users Group. > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Leica Users Group. > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information