peterc commented on the word decimate
Decimation was a Roman military punishment for units which did not fight hard enough or ran away.
Men were grouped in tens to draw straws, the man with the shortest was then clubbed to death by the other nine.
Decimation is widely used incorrectly, when devastation would be the correct way of describing a major catastrophe.
Has no-one heard of the Oxford English Dictionary ?
April 20, 2010
Comments by peterc
peterc commented on the word decimate
Decimation was a Roman military punishment for units which did not fight hard enough or ran away.
Men were grouped in tens to draw straws, the man with the shortest was then clubbed to death by the other nine.
Decimation is widely used incorrectly, when devastation would be the correct way of describing a major catastrophe.
Has no-one heard of the Oxford English Dictionary ?
April 20, 2010