Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/09

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Subject: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was, Even us natives don't write English good"
From: s.jessurun95 at chello.nl (animal)
Date: Sun May 9 15:04:51 2004
References: <001201c43611$26ef08c0$7e6b0e44@newukolbqveo9i>

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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Forte and Forte: Was, Even us natives don't write English good")
In reply to: Message from jls at runbox.com (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Forte and Forte: Was, Even us natives don't write English good")