8 oct

punitive


Presently / Currently
comprises (A) / consists (B)
confidant (A) / confident (B)
Despite (A) / In spite (B)
dinning (A) / dining (B)



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demure and demur. The difference of the final “silent” E is critical not only to the pronunciation but to the meanings of these two words. Demure is pronounced [de-myure] while demur is pronounced [duh-murr]. Big difference there.

Demure, of course, is an adjective meaning, roughly, “coyly shy”. If someone asks you whether you know something about a topic on which you happen to be an expert, a demure reply is appropriate: “Do you know anything about words?” “A little,” would be a demure reply from a lexicographer or lexicologist.

The verb means to show reluctance in doing something, to hold back or hesitate in an open-ended fashion. You would (I hope) demur from sharing the password to your online bank account with anyone.

I exemplified the disparity between this word and demur with a comment about one of my favorite co-diners, Cherry Pitt: “Cherry Pitt demurred from the offer of a second dessert, waiting until asked a second time, at which point she demurely accepted.”

It just occurred to me that the difference between a lexicographer and a lexicologist might make an interesting note. I won’t devote a whole essay to the topic but just say here that a lexicographer is someone who compiles dictionaries while a lexicologist is someone who scientifically (linguistically) studies the nature of words in the mental lexicon.


How to use Affect

Affect is commonly used as a verb. Unless your topic is psychology, you will rarely need to use affect as a noun.
Typically, when people want to say that one thing has had an impact on another, they will use the verb affect.

For example:

* It’s hard to say how the price of gasoline will affect the economy in the long run.
* Growing up with three older sisters affected me greatly as a person.
* When someone affects you strongly, you may develop affection for them. (Notice in this example that the root of affection is affect.)

How to use Effect

Effect is almost always used as a noun. Typically, when people talk about causes, they also talk about effects. An effect is what is created by some cause. Here are some examples of effect being used as a noun that means “the result of a cause”:

* It’s hard to say what effect the rising price of gasoline will have on the world economy.
* One undesirable effect of not wearing shoes is getting really dirty feet.
* The hurricane caused many tragedies, and the victims are still feeling its effects.
* However, it can also be used as a verb, meaning to bring about, as in her actions effected a change in the situation.


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