"Schuh, Richard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >In other references, I think that it is "deprecated" instead of >"depreciated". To disapprove is somewhat different than to reduce in >value or esteem. In regard to Phil's reference to SI, I think they >carefully specify that their definitions apply only to the powers of 10. >They have pushed the idea of inserting a "BI" in the prefix for the >binary prefixes. That makes it a real bummer to try to pronounce >something like gibigabyte, which is one of the easier ones. I have a >difficult enough time with English, let alone the munged Greek prefixes
Actually, the currently common usage of "deprecate" to mean "disparage" is relatively new; "depreciate" is at least as correct. See http://www.answers.com/deprecate, which says in part: >>>>> The first and fully accepted meaning of deprecate is "to express disapproval of." But the word has steadily encroached on the meaning of depreciate. It is now used, almost to the exclusion of depreciate, in the sense "to belittle or mildly disparage," as in 'He deprecated his own contribution.' <<<<< This shows up in the common term "self-deprecating", which really should be "self-depreciating"; however, as the page notes, this usage has become so common that it's essentially standard now. My dad once asked the dean of the English department at a major university about it, and he had no problem with "self-deprecating" -- until my dad pointed out the misuse. ...phsiii (OK, now has this topic drifted far enough?)
