taciturnity (was Re: Tacitunity (was: Re: conculture list?))

At 1:36 pm -0800 11/2/99, Peter Clark wrote:
>---"Raymond A. Brown" <raybrown@...> wrote:
>>
>> At 12:56 pm -0500 11/2/99, Tony Harris wrote:
>> >
>> >"taciturnity" ?  Is that really a word?  ;-)
>>
>> Yes, according to Chambers English dictionary (ISBN 1-85296-001-9)
>
>   That's beside the point. I motion we censure Tony for daring to ask
>(on CONLANG, of all places!) if a word is really a word. For shame!
Indeed  :)

>   Just kidding, Tony! I couldn't pass up on the irony of it all.
>(After all, think of Net English...)

Actually, further investigation showed the word has definitely been around
in one shape or form for more than 2000 years!   As far as I can discover
the first instance of "tacitunitas" (gen. "tacitunitatis") occurs in the
writings of Cicero in the 1st cent. BC.  It is well attested thoughout the
Classical Latin period and, I guess, has continued to live on in learned
circles ever since.


But 'tacitunity' in the Subject heading of the mail is only a day old AFAIK  :)

Ray.