Re: Types of numerals

Hi Thomas (Thomas Hart Chappell), in <LISTSERV%200601081332007994.01D8@...> on Jan 8 you wrote:

> First, the New Stuff:
>
> How about verbs?
>
> English has "double" and "treble" (or "triple"), for making the object
> bigger or more numerous by a factor of two or three, respectively.
>
> English also has the set phrase "half again as ..." for increasing some
> attribute (perhaps size or quantity) by a factor of 1.5.
>
> English also has the verbs "to half (smthng)" and "to quarter (smthng)"
> and "to decimate (smthng)".
>
> "To half smthng" may mean either "to divide smthng into two equal pieces"
> or "to reduce smthng to half as [attribute] as it was before".
>
> Likewise, "to quarter smthng" may mean either "to divide smthng into four
> equal pieces" or "to reduce smthng to a quarter as [attribute] as it was
> before".
>
> "To decimate smthng" means "to reduce smthng by removing one-tenth of it".
Interesting.  The way I've always seen it used, "decimate" = "destroy, obliterate"

As in, "The swarming ghllkkkxxoorvvian warfleet swooped down over the
continents of Earth and decimated the worlds population..."

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