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10/22/2005: A Few [New] *Words*
Mr. Language Wordsmith and I have an ongoing rapport and often work closely together to get *just the right* meaning our of our words. That’s why I am very pleased when I find new and previously unfamiliar words that I've just never run across. These are words I've never thought of using because I didn’t know they existed. *wink*
This week I found two GEMS: Tautological and Osculate.
From the transcripts on the testimony of Professor Behe in the I.D. trial in PA: Tautological:
• pleonastic: repetition of same sense in different words; "`a true fact' and `a free gift' are pleonastic expressions"; "the phrase `a beginner who has just started' is tautological"; "at the risk of being redundant I return to my original proposition"-
• In logic, a tautology is a statement which is true by its own definition, and is therefore fundamentally uninformative. Logical tautologies use circular reasoning within an argument or statement.
From Kissing The Pig at Discourse.net.: Osculate:
• kiss: touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.; "The newly married couple kissed"; "She kissed her grandfather on the forehead when she entered the room"
• be intermediate between two taxonomic groups; "These species osculate"
• have at least three points in common with; "one curve osculates the other"; "these two surfaces osculate"
Thanks for these *words* to add to my ever increasing vocabulary. I like new words.
:-)
Karen on 10.22.05 @ 07:22 AM CST
