On the OED
I want to clarify the use of the OED, and I’ll simply tell you what they say: The Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed…
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Mar 6
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Mar 5
On “Vegetarian” and “Vegan,” OED-Style
Just when you thought I was going to stop talking about vegetarianism and veganism . . . You might want to sit down for this one. Vegetarian, the noun. 1. a. One who lives wholly or principally upon vegetable foods;…
Mar 4
On “Compassion,” OED-Style
The irony in this one is rich. The original definition of compassion, which arrived on the scene in 1340, was: “Suffering together with another, participation in suffering; fellow-feeling, sympathy.” And the secondary definition doesn’t get much better: “The feeling or…
Mar 3
On Veganism as Vegetarianism
I’ll write about “compassion” and the OED tomorrow because my level of confusion at something I saw in a press release by PCRM is something I cannot hold back. It’s a matter of language, and here it is (and thanks…
Mar 2
On “Humane,” OED-Style
This one’s for Justin, who was curious about the history of “humane” via the Oxford English Dictionary. The page isn’t long so I can paste the entire thing, references and all. If you just read the references chronologically, without the…
Be Part of a Victory for Pigs
I support Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine partly because of my personal preference for the quiet, methodical, effective way they go about their work. I also like that they’re a niche organization–they have a couple of areas of focus and…
