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> It should decimate most Protoss players unless they scout.. It should (annhilate|destroy|overwhelm|<etc>) most Protoss players unless they scout... FTFY Th

by NyxWulf 16y ago

> It should decimate most Protoss players unless they scout.. It should (annhilate|destroy|overwhelm|<etc>) most Protoss players unless they scout... FTFY That usage of decimate is as grating to me as it is common. :/ I don't blame you, I'm just shaking my fists at the heavens in impotent rage.

waterhouse 16y ago
I sympathize and agree. For those who don't know, the word "decimate" comes from a practice of the Roman army in which they would kill one out of every ten soldiers as a punishment for mutiny. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(Roman_army)
- neilc 16y ago
  That is the origin of the word, but I don't see why there is anything wrong with using it as the original poster did: "to cause great destruction or harm to" is a perfectly valid meaning of the word. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate
kahawe 16y ago
And like many other words decimate's current usage and meaning has deviated from its original use. Are you suggesting people should only and exclusively adhere to original meanings and "trve" origins of words? Knowing where a word came from can certainly help us understand more but let's face it, languages are very alive and change a lot.