51吃瓜 of the Day
disambiguate
verb (used with object)
to remove the ambiguity from; make unambiguous.
More about disambiguate
Disambiguate 鈥渢o remove the ambiguity from鈥� is based on the adjective ambiguous 鈥渙pen to or having several possible meanings or interpretations,鈥� plus the affixes dis-, indicating reversal, and -ate, indicating a verb. Ambiguous, from Latin ambiguus, is derived from the verb ambigere 鈥渢o dispute, contend,鈥� which is a compound of the prefix ambi- 鈥渂oth鈥� and the verb agere 鈥渢o do, drive.鈥� Ambi- crops up in English terms such as ambidextrous (literally 鈥渂oth right-handed鈥�), ambient (鈥済oing both (directions)鈥�), ambivalent (鈥渂oth strong鈥�), and past 51吃瓜 of the Day ambivert (鈥渢urned both ways鈥�). Agere is a rather productive verb with numerous stems: ag- appears in agenda, agent, and agile; -ig- is found in聽litigate, navigate, and castigate and its synonym past 51吃瓜 of the Day fustigate; and finally act- is found in action, activity, and exact. Disambiguate was first recorded in English in the early 1960s.
how is disambiguate used?
When emoji appear with text, they often supplement or enhance the writing. This is similar to gestures that appear along with speech. Over the past three decades, research has shown that our hands provide important information that often transcends and clarifies the message in speech. Emoji serve this function too鈥� or instance, adding a kissy or winking face can disambiguate whether a statement is flirtatiously teasing or just plain mean.
Some people think nothing of highlighting inconsistent punctuation wherever they might see it, however innocuous or irrelevant it might be (apostrophes rarely actually disambiguate鈥揳fter all, we get along fine without them in speech). Never mind that it鈥檚 a handwritten notice in a shop window, written by someone for whom English is a second (or third, or fourth) language. Never mind that it鈥檚 a leaflet touting for work from someone who didn鈥檛 get the chance to complete their education. They need to be corrected and/or posted online for others to see. Otherwise, how will anybody learn?
disambiguate
paso doble
noun
a two-step, especially one done to Latin American rhythms.
More about paso doble
Paso doble 鈥渁 two-step鈥� is a loanword from Spanish, in which the term means 鈥渄ouble step.鈥� Spanish doble and English double are clear cognates鈥攂oth derive from Latin duplus (literally 鈥渢wo more鈥�) or duplex (literally 鈥渢wofold鈥�)鈥攚hile paso is a cognate of English pace and pass, and all three derive from the Latin noun passus 鈥渟迟别辫.鈥� Passus also serves as the past participle of the verb pandere 鈥渢o spread,鈥� which is the source of English words such as expand. While Spanish simply uses no to mean 鈥渘o鈥� or 鈥渘ot,鈥� its sister language French uses the phrase 苍别鈥补蝉, which literally means 鈥渘ot a step鈥� and descends from Latin nec passum. Paso doble was first recorded in English in the late 1920s.
how is paso doble used?
At another juncture of the concert, an energetic tune suddenly unfolds into a pasodoble, which since the 1960s has become a standard during Venezuelan celebrations鈥攁ptly titled 鈥淢煤sica de fiesta鈥� (Party music) …. The tune is particularly appealing to the audience, now on its feet and in motion.
I left the radio on by his bed, I even called to request a song to entertain him, a paso doble which is what he liked to dance at the firemen鈥檚 balls when he was single, until I finally went lame like this from a stomping he gave me in the dance contest the first Sunday of Lent, when he yelled Ol茅 and came down with his heel right on my bunion…
paso doble
saber
noun
a heavy, one-edged sword, usually slightly curved, used especially by cavalry.
More about saber
Saber 鈥渁 heavy, one-edged sword鈥� is a borrowing of French sabre, earlier sable, from German Sabel (modern 厂盲产别濒). Prior to German, the term either passed through a Slavic intermediary such as Polish szabla or came directly from Hungarian szablya. Note that the sz consonant pair is pronounced as 鈥渟h鈥� in Polish but simply as 鈥渟鈥� in Hungarian, and the Hungarian letter pair ly is pronounced as simply 鈥測鈥� as in “yes.” Though the ultimate source of szablya is uncertain, the prevailing theory is an origin in a Tungusic language; compare sele 鈥渋ron鈥� and seleme 鈥渄agger鈥� in Manchu, an endangered language in Manchuria. The languages of the Tungusic family are predominantly spoken in Siberia, with a few members spoken in northern China. Although efforts have been made to connect the Tungusic languages to the Mongolic and Turkic families (as we learned from the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day yurt), and even to Japanese and Korean, any relationship among these families is inconclusive. Saber was first recorded in English in the 1670s.
how is saber used?
Knocking off the top of a Champagne bottle with a saber鈥攌nown as sabrage鈥攊s an old rite in Europe, and a novel addition to American celebrations. But there’s an art to doing it right …. “Apparently, this started in the time of Napoleon when there were wars all through the Champagne region. And the soldiers would come and grab a bottle of Champagne while they were on horseback; they would just take their saber and knock the top and drink it down,” [Becky Sue Epstein, author of Champagne: A Global History] says.
The other boys showed off their lead toy soldiers, their bicycles. We showed my father鈥檚 saber, which we took down secretly in the dark sitting room among the furniture covered in dust sheets. Compared to his saber, the security guard鈥檚 machete was a mere penknife. This (my unfeeling hand slides over the surface, divested of weight and consistency) was our town鈥檚 most precious emblem.
saber