ameliorate AIBU?

[LightTheFlameThrower]

Is this really a standard word that most people know? (I thought it was a typo)

"I think the majority of people on here that know the word have either studied a Latin based language or law. Otherwise it’s not that known."

I've studied French and always thought it meant the same thing in English, but was just a less common word - there are loads of words like that. However, reading the thread, it seems I hadn't understood it properly either and it doesn't just mean improve in English.

@Srslydontgiveacrap

That person is thick as fuck. This also explains how people don't understand COVID transmission at all. Heaven help us.

These two things are not related. You really do have an axe to grind. STFU dear.

@JingsMahBucket

🤭

Speak French so understood it immediately but never heard it used in English!

Yes, remedial treatment to remedy something. Not to remediate it.

It's one of those words I knew when I read it, but I couldn't tell you the last time I saw it (apart from just now, obviously). I'm pretty sure I've never used it myself before.

Remediate is massive in my tech industry and used in many goverment standards and regulations globally.

That’s what you call jargon - if it’s linked to a particular field of work.

Ah. Techspeak, a language of its own.

Jargon and Techspeak. We must all sound very wanktastic, and I tend to agree. But life has developed and is unrecognisable from a 100 years ago, therefore language must develop. I'm sure you're just stating a fact and not eye rolling, but without an army of people remediating, protecting and enabling your very way of life, everything people take for granted, every single organisation would be vulnerable. Fancy a life without water, energy, transport, manufactoring, medicine, defence? Be thankful for Techspeak, it stops us being thrown back to Shakespeare times .

Fair comment. I'm not complaining, just bewildered. But agree, progress is essential and language must evolve to match it.

Yes I'd use it in the context you describe in written communication but wouldn't say it verbally - unless in a work presentation, or discussion of technical questions when I might.

I know and understand the word, don't think I would use it myself, even in writing. Unless I had a job (housing management, medicine) where it was often the perfect word for the context.

I don't agree it simply means "improve", as many people have said. As a minority have said, it means to make less bad. You don't ameliorate a cake by adding icing (because cake on its own is nice anyway) but you do improve it (because cake with icing is even better.) On the other hand, you can ameliorate a burnt cake by cutting off the burnt crust.

I wanted to see if I my vocabulary is as high as I think, the first online test I came across concluded I know (recognise?) 86% of English words. If someone with good vocabulary knows 40,000, and there are a million, I'm not sure if that means I know 860,000. Seems unlikely.

The words I did not recognise as English words were:-

wicopy
ephod
biennium
subtenant
adulterine
handspike
abbatial
dasheen
retrocede
obtund

(The list is not a spoiler, the test uses different words every time it's taken.)

The test is here:-

vocabulary.ugent.be/

To be clear, the words in the list are English words, apparently. Just not ones I recognised.

Though with hindsight I think I voted the wrong way on "subtenant."

It's not unfamiliar to me, I recognise it and I know how to pronounce it but, to be honest, I'd have to look it up to remember what it means.

I think its a normal word, but on the better educated side of normal. Its not THAT fancy, but I dont hear it often either.

Just took the test. Not terrible but not brilliant!

I knew the word ameliorate and the meaning but I'm pretty sure I've never heard it spoken other than on TV. I don't think I have ever used it.

The list of words I recognise is quite long as I read a lot, but the words I use myself everyday are from a list so short any self respecting parrot could outdo me. :)

Genuine question - did you and your friends read a lot growing up?

I did and that's why I think I have a fairly large vocabulary. Plus I used to read 'classic' children's books from E Nesbit and L M Montgomery onwards and their language wasn't 'dumbed down' for children.

I did and do, and I still come across new words on a regular basis.

I''m interested in the opinion that Nesbit isn't dumbed down for children, anyway- compare the vocabulary of The Story of the Treasure Seekers to, say Red Pottage or The Torture Garden and to me there seems to be a clear difference.

I got 80%

Words I didn't know:

upbraid 1.979
bagasse 0.939
punchboard 2.317
gaud 1.573
indefiniteness 2.57
repo 2.727
rascally 1.223
sledding 2.797
serologist 1.017
tailstock 1.341
barricader 1.275
caudle 0.943
meadowsweet 1.26
electrotyper

There's a couple of 'americanisms' in there.

I was pleased I didn't say yes to any non-words.

I did the word test! Thank you @RandomLondoner for that, it's currently doing the rounds of family WhatsApp groups...

Your result
On the basis of your results, we estimate you know 86% of the English words.

Share your score:

You said yes to 86% of the existing words.

You said yes to 0% of the nonwords.

This gives you a corrected score of 86% - 0% = 86%.

You are at the top level!

This makes me happy :) I'm going to try it again at the end of the day and see whether I do worse when tired.

Got 86% in that one too. Luckily, I didn't click on any non-words. I did click 'yes' to quite a few words I think I've seen before, but couldn't tell you what they mean so...

Interesting that they ask whether you're right or left handed. Is that what they're study is about?

Never heard it before. (Age 49)
Had to google.

It most certainly is not a common word.