It's not like this superficially either. That's literally what the word is.
finite - to have a limit, be bounded
The de- part is acting like it does in words like defraud. It's not a negative, like you might see in detox, where it means to remove something or undo something. Instead, it simply insists something has been done, not unlike the suffix -ify. You've been defrauded. In a manner of speaking, you could say you've been "fraud-ified".
You could say something that has been defined has been "finite-ified". The possibilities of what it could be were limitless, but you restricted them to something specific. You've made it finite. You've defined it. It is definite.
It's more that finite is easier because it has the long I sound at the beginning which clearly designates it as I. The short i sound in most English dialects is a middling kind of "ehh" sound that can be confused for an e a lot when sounding out a word. When I misspell definitely it's because I spell it defenitely.
Anybody who's every read a document written prior to the eighteenth century will tell you that people had a pretty "interpretive" way of spelling back in the day lol.
Me, writing an entire sentence describing process, rules and hierarchy within an organization so that I don't have to try to spell the single word which describes this concept:
steno's not just court, it's still the easiest way to do live tv captioning and CART and such
there's also still a big hobbyist group around it, plover and hobbyist stenoboards have made it pretty easy to get into from that angle instead
yep! think news broadcasts and such, certain places have requirements on how much of live tv is captioned and to what accuracy to be accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing
38 Comments
EleventhHour@lemmy.world · 82 pts · 1y
it’s the word “finite” with de- in the beginning and -ly at the end. That’s how I remember.
clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works · 24 pts · 1y
That's actually helpful. Thanks.
Dabundis@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
Also helps to think of the word "definitely" as meaning "by definition"
mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 15 pts · 1y
Yeah i don't know to spell defenition
DannyBoy@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 1y
Did you mean "defenestration"?
kn33@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
That helps, but it doesn't help me remember if it's "definitely", "definitley", or "definitly".
pixelscript@lemm.ee · 15 pts · 1y
It's not like this superficially either. That's literally what the word is.
finite - to have a limit, be bounded
The de- part is acting like it does in words like defraud. It's not a negative, like you might see in detox, where it means to remove something or undo something. Instead, it simply insists something has been done, not unlike the suffix -ify. You've been defrauded. In a manner of speaking, you could say you've been "fraud-ified".
You could say something that has been defined has been "finite-ified". The possibilities of what it could be were limitless, but you restricted them to something specific. You've made it finite. You've defined it. It is definite.
Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 1y
Is it fin-it or fine-ite
Venator@lemmy.nz · 3 pts · 1y
Defiantly going to remember how to spell it now!
EleventhHour@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
It also works for ‘infinitely’
Venator@lemmy.nz · 1 pts · 1y
Indefiantly? 🤔😅
TheOakTree@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 1y
I always told people "definitely is spelled like infinitely, so just remember how to spell infinite"
But I suppose "finite" is even better than "infinite" since there's less to remember.
skulblaka@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1y
It's more that finite is easier because it has the long I sound at the beginning which clearly designates it as I. The short i sound in most English dialects is a middling kind of "ehh" sound that can be confused for an e a lot when sounding out a word. When I misspell definitely it's because I spell it defenitely.
TheOakTree@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 1y
My reasoning for why "infinite" would be easy to remember is because "infinity" is notably a word with only i as a main vowel (excluding the y)
But I see what you mean too
Benaaasaaas@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
My reasoning is that infinite is pronounced like definite, unlike finite which is pronounced nothing like definite.
rudyharrelson@lemmy.radio · 35 pts · 1y
affiliate@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 1y
i hope i never have to write beruacracy in an academic context
Alexstarfire@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
I can tell.
GBU_28@lemm.ee · 20 pts · 1y
People online tell me that language is fluid and spelling is interpretive. Just let your reviewers know that if they mark anything!
Mr_Blott@feddit.uk · -4 pts · 1y
JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee · 15 pts · 1y
Language is fluid, but standardised spellings are helpful for clarity and ease of reading.
GiveMemes@jlai.lu · 6 pts · 1y
Anybody who's every read a document written prior to the eighteenth century will tell you that people had a pretty "interpretive" way of spelling back in the day lol.
Mr_Blott@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 1y
DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social · 2 pts · 1y
The hallmark of a truly sophisticated language is the ability to express complex thoughts consistently and conscisely.
And without so many unnecessary U's.
Alexstarfire@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Fuck you, Kris.
GBU_28@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 1y
Yeah it's totally only an American thing 🙄
3x7x37@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 18 pts · 1y
Noodle07@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y
Defentanily
Alexstarfire@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Pregante
Stovetop@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 1y
Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 1y
You sure do.
socsa@piefed.social · 11 pts · 1y
Me, writing an entire sentence describing process, rules and hierarchy within an organization so that I don't have to try to spell the single word which describes this concept:
frigidaphelion@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 1y
garant-y
ping
unnamedau@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 1y
this is why i'm enjoying learning steno, if i forget how to spell a word i can usually just sound it out :^)
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1y
unnamedau@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 1y
steno's not just court, it's still the easiest way to do live tv captioning and CART and such
there's also still a big hobbyist group around it, plover and hobbyist stenoboards have made it pretty easy to get into from that angle instead
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 1y
unnamedau@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 1y
yep! think news broadcasts and such, certain places have requirements on how much of live tv is captioned and to what accuracy to be accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 1y
callouscomic@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 1y
Definitively definite defined definition.
BanjoShepard@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y
Assuming the error is with accidentally writing defiantly in lieu of definitely, I used to tell myself "There is definitely not an a in definitely."
chickenf622@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1y
I always remember the phrase, "If you spell definitely with an 'a' you're definitely an asshole". Harsh, but it stuck in my head really well.
bulwark@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
I defiantly agree that you need a doctorate degree to type that word.
Reddfugee42@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
De-finite-ly
Earflap@reddthat.com · 1 pts · 1y
Necessary and necessarily for me. Can't spell 'em to save my life.