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PROPRIETY |
Diction - Purity - Propriety - Precision.
Propriety of style consists in using words in their proper sense and as
in the case of purity, good usage is the principal test. Many words have
acquired in actual use a meaning very different from what they once
possessed. "Prevent" formerly meant to go before, and that meaning is
implied in its Latin derivation. Now it means to put a stop to, to
hinder. To attain propriety of style it is necessary to avoid confounding
words derived from the same root; as respectfully and respectively;
it is necessary to use words in their accepted sense or the sense which
everyday use sanctions.
Next: SIMPLICITY
Previous: PURITY
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