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unregenerate: msg#00028culture.language.word-of-the-day
**************************************************************** Is there a "scare" in the word "scarify?" Scare up the answer to this and other disputes in our Concise Usage Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?conusg.htm&6 **************************************************************** The Word of the Day for October 28 is: unregenerate \un-rih-JEN-uh-rut\ adjective 1 : not spiritually reborn or converted 2 a : not reformed : unreconstructed *b : obstinate, stubborn Example sentence: Despite pleadings from his friends, Shane remained unregenerate about his decision. Did you know? There was a time when the adjective "regenerate" had more to do with being spiritually reborn than with being physically re-created; in the 16th century, "regenerate" was used of someone spiritually reborn. By the late 1500s, English speakers had added "un-" to "regenerate" to describe someone who refused to accept spiritual reformation. Since then, "unregenerate" has taken on a life of its own, gaining the extended specific meanings of "unconverted to a particular doctrinaire viewpoint," "persisting in a reactionary stand," or just plain "stubborn." Both "regenerate" and "unregenerate" trace back to the Latin "genus," meaning "birth" or "descent." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, please visit: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 |
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