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Re: Fwd: supine vs. prostrate
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The word "supine" is quite contradictory, is it not? In Portuguese, at
least, it may indicate "lying horizontally" ( like a corpse, or as a sick
person with the back turned and prostrate ) but it also means "standing
upright" in a superior way ( and then, besides something high or elevated
it also means what is "extreme": a "supine ignorance" ).
Therefore, supine does not always mean the opposite of prostrate. In
English, does it not come closer to "inactivity' and "passivity" than the
contrary?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2004 3:56 PM
Subject: Fwd: supine vs. prostrate
> Dear List,
>
> A friend recently made the offhand comment that Vladimir Nabokov, though
a
> master of the English language, never observed the difference between
> "supine" and "prostrate". He didn't have any examples to cite.
> Any responses from the list to this charge?
>
> yours,
> Mike Stauss <jameselcoco@hotmail.com>
>
>
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
----- End forwarded message -----
least, it may indicate "lying horizontally" ( like a corpse, or as a sick
person with the back turned and prostrate ) but it also means "standing
upright" in a superior way ( and then, besides something high or elevated
it also means what is "extreme": a "supine ignorance" ).
Therefore, supine does not always mean the opposite of prostrate. In
English, does it not come closer to "inactivity' and "passivity" than the
contrary?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2004 3:56 PM
Subject: Fwd: supine vs. prostrate
> Dear List,
>
> A friend recently made the offhand comment that Vladimir Nabokov, though
a
> master of the English language, never observed the difference between
> "supine" and "prostrate". He didn't have any examples to cite.
> Any responses from the list to this charge?
>
> yours,
> Mike Stauss <jameselcoco@hotmail.com>
>
>
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
----- End forwarded message -----