Words such as “fulsome” and “comprise” are known as contronyms, auto-antonyms or, most poetically, “Janus words”. Our language columnist explains how they come about
"In order for the wheel to turn, for life to be lived, impurities are needed, and the impurities of impurities in the soil, too, as is known, if it is to be fertile. Dissension, diversity, the grain of salt and mustard are needed: Fascism does not want them, forbids them, and that’s why you’re not a Fascist; it wants everybody to be the same, and you are not. But immaculate virtue does not exist either, or if it exists it is detestable."
--from "The Periodic Table" (1975) by Primo Levi
Reviews
“The biographical dictionary of Members is immaculate, and it is difficult to find words to commend it which will not appear fulsome.”Dialogue | 15.02.2008 | 05:30
The Catholic Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
The visions of Bernadette Soubirous confirmed ímportant Catholic ideas
Bernadette Soubirous, who became a nun after her visions, was canonised as Saint Bernadette in 1933. She is a very important figure for the Catholic Church, because her visions confirmed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It declares that Mary was “without sin” when Jesus Christ was conceived. Irish-born Father Martin Moran of the Order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate is the English-language chaplain coordinator in Lourdes.
(Interview: Angelika Ditscheid/ Father Martin Moran)
Bernadette Soubirous, who became a nun after her visions, was canonised as Saint Bernadette in 1933. She is a very important figure for the Catholic Church, because her visions confirmed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It declares that Mary was “without sin” when Jesus Christ was conceived. Irish-born Father Martin Moran of the Order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate is the English-language chaplain coordinator in Lourdes.
(Interview: Angelika Ditscheid/ Father Martin Moran)
A Professor and a Banker Bury Old Dogma on Markets
The Fed chairman and the Treasury secretary have cast aside long-held views about regulation and government involvement in private business.
dogma：信條；信理；教條；教理；教義；定論：指教會對天主啟示的信仰或道德真理的隆重宣示，要求全球教友信服。又稱 dogma of faith信德的道理。拉丁文稱作 dogma de fide。
dogma, definition of：欽定信條；信理定斷；信理界定：指教會最高訓導權－教宗或大公會議的眾主教，以其不可錯的特恩，隆重宣佈應當信從的信仰或道德教義（法典749）。
Dogmatic Theology：教義神學；信理神學：以推理方法，將啟示的信條，加以解釋的神學。有別於倫理神學，前者著重於認知天主及其活動，後者著重於研究應如何規範人的行為。
dogmatics：教義學；信理學。
dogmatism：教條主義；獨斷主義；武斷主義。
dog・ma
━━ n. 教義, 教条, 教理; 定説; 独断的な考え［説］.
dog・mat・ic, dog・mat・ic・al ━━ a. 独断的な; 教義の, 教理の.
dog・mat・i・cal・ly ad.
dog・mat・ics n. 教義学.
dog・ma・tism ━━ n. 独断論, 独断的態度, 教条主義.
dog・ma・tist ━━ n. 独断家, 教条主義者.
dog・ma・tize ━━ v. 独断的に主張する ((about)).
dog・mat・ic, dog・mat・ic・al ━━ a. 独断的な; 教義の, 教理の.dog・mat・i・cal・ly ad.
dog・mat・ics n. 教義学.
dog・ma・tism ━━ n. 独断論, 独断的態度, 教条主義. dog・ma・tist ━━ n. 独断家, 教条主義者. dog・ma・tize ━━ v. 独断的に主張する ((about)).
im・mac・u・late
━━ a. 汚れていない, 清浄な; 罪にけがれない; 欠点のない, 完璧(ぺき)な.
Immaculate Conception 【カトリック】（the ～） （聖母の）無原罪の御宿り.
Immaculate Conception, the：聖母無玷始胎；聖母無染原罪；聖母無原罪；聖母始胎無染原罪：1854年教宗碧岳九世宣佈：「瑪利亞在其母胎成孕之初，即因天主特恩未染原罪」為信條。其節日在十二月八日。拉丁文稱作 Immaculata Conceptio。
immaculate Immaculate Conception 【カトリック】（the ～） （聖母の）無原罪の御宿り.adjective APPROVING
1 perfectly clean or tidy:
dressed in an immaculate white suit
an immaculate garden
2 perfect and without any mistakes:
He gave an immaculate performance as the aging hero.
immaculately
adverb
immaculately dressed
im・mac・u・late
━━ a. 汚れていない, 清浄な; 罪にけがれない; 欠点のない, 完璧(ぺき)な.
Immaculate Conception 【カトリック】（the ～） （聖母の）無原罪の御宿り.
im・mac・u・late・ly ━━ ad.
im・mac・u・late・ness ━━ n.
fulsome Immaculate Conception 【カトリック】（the ～） （聖母の）無原罪の御宿り. im・mac・u・late・ly ━━ ad. im・mac・u・late・ness ━━ n.adjective FORMAL
expressing a lot of admiration for or appreciation of someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere:
Her new book has received fulsome praise from the critics.
Our guests were fulsome in their compliments about the food.
fulsomely
adverb FORMAL
He thanked her fulsomely for her help.
fulsomeness
noun [U] FORMAL
1 則留言:
fulsome (FUL-suhm)
adjective:
1. Effusive; lavish.
2. Excessive to the point of being offensive.
Etymology
A combination of the words full and -some (having a particular quality).
Notes
Does the word fulsome have a positive connotation or negative? Depends on whom you ask. The word started out in mid 13th century as a straightforward, unambiguous word to describe abundance. By the 17th century, it had acquired a deprecatory sense, as in the second sense listed above. Then, again, it went around the bend and in the 20th century the positive sense of the word become more common. Language purists continue to stick with the second sense, while others use the word in its first sense. What to do? Avoid it, unless context is clear, as in the two usage examples below.
Usage
"Dacres offered Hull fulsome compliments on the courage and performance of his men." — Ian W. Toll; Blood Brothers; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 4, 2006.
"One tires of the fulsome endorsement, the blizzard of exclamation points, the arch locutions." — Daniel Aaron; Belle du Jour; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Feb 2, 1998.
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