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SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, please

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:01 pm
by Alan Uchrinscko
Thanks a lot.

Try ...

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:31 pm
by Bill Spencer
%^)

... herbaceousness ...

Clink !

%^)

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:55 pm
by Robin Garr
Alan Uchrinscko wrote:Thanks a lot.


Bill got it in one!

Also consider alternatives, some more specific: Herbal, herby, leafy, grassy, weedy, vegetal, or specific herb names - thyme, tarragon, basil, yada, yada.

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:02 pm
by Alan Uchrinscko
Still not found...

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=herbaceousness

I'm going with:

"The salinity leads to freshness and, along with the gentle herbal scents of Chablis, sometimes evokes the smell of seawater."

as I'm in a real poetic mood.

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:34 pm
by Robin Garr
Alan Uchrinscko wrote:Still not found...


Well ... dictionaries don't always list subsidiary forms. It's a noun formed from an adjective by adding -ness, which is legit. Here's the definition of the root word:

Code: Select all
her·ba·ceous   Audio pronunciation of "herbaceous" ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (hûr-bshs, ûr-)
adj.

   1. Relating to or characteristic of an herb as distinguished from a woody plant.
   2. Green and leaflike in appearance or texture.


[From Latin herbceus, from herba, herb.]


Your alternate is nice, though. I'd go with it.

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:18 pm
by Alan Uchrinscko
Thanks.

The person editing what I was writing said "hold on a minute" on the whole herb...ness thing and I thought it was another one of these minerality things - words we use that don't exist.

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:42 pm
by Harry Cantrell
now do that for "typicity"

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:39 pm
by Robin Garr
Harry Cantrell wrote:"typicity"


General dictionaries don't handle specialist jargon well, but that doesn't make it wrong, if the term works and is not just a buzzword. I'd say "typicity" meets that standard.

Re: SWR: Can Robin or someone make herbaciousness a word, pl

PostPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 8:24 am
by Thomas
Oh please, please, please do it for "varietal." If I had my "druthers" I'd excise that adjective-cum-noun from the language.