Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
Examples must be legion. Indeed, both the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary (as accessible through Yahooligans! Reference) have conceded the synonymity of reticent and reluctant. As of 2003, however, the AP Stylebook apparently held fast to a distinction between the words. See http://www.stthomas.edu/jour/apstyle/re … cent.html. Maybe reticent/reluctant will serve as a happy example of an eggcorn finally graduating, through dogged persistence, into accepted usage?
“Dornan, who now works for Artemis Strategies, a lobbying firm in Washington, strongly criticized Harris and said her behavior had inspired some campaign staffers, who would normally be reticent to speak poorly of a former boss, to make public comments.” Stephen Majors, “Five top staffers leave embattled Harris campaign,” July 13, 2006, HeraldToday.com (http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/ … 025642.htm)
“Tom Coughlin was reticent to speak about Lewis while the Giants were alive, but after their 23-0 loss to the Panthers he spoke up.” Paul Schwartz, “Lewis Talking to Suitors,” January 10, 2006, New York Post Online Edition (http://www.nypost.com/sports/giants/59100.htm)
“Hotline officials are reticent to speak about the case.” Janelle Brown, “Hotline’s Civil War,” Salon.com (http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1 … ature.html).
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Hmm, the stthomas.edu page above with the AP Stylebook information can’t be found.
I always thought the confusion was between “reticent” and “hesitant,” but maybe this use of reticent is a combination of “reluctant” and “hesitant.” The most interesting thing to me is that it’s so often used with words that suggest speaking or communicating (e.g., “reticent to speak up,” “reticent to report fraud,” “reticent to share information”). Could this be a nod to the actual meaning and etymology of “reticent”?
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I don’t own the AP Stylebook, but the MWDEU has a relatively lengthy article on “reticent.” Their sense of the development of the word’s meaning in recent decades is essentially the same as your own:
With reticent in its “inclined to be silent” sense, a person may be said to be “reticent about” a particular subject. With a slight extension of meaning, a person may be said to be “reticent about discussing” a particular subject, in which case reticent is being used essentially as a synonym of hesitant, but still in a context that relates specifically to speech.
From there, they show how “reticent” has gone on to mean “reluctant” even in contexts that have nothing to do with speech. While the MWDEU folks consider these uses “well established,” they warn that they’re not yet standard.
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There is something very strange going on here; Instead of “reticent” spawning “hesitant” as an eggcorn, we find “reticent” adopting the meaning “hesitant”—as a very mild malapropism, if you will, which then becomes well established usage! I don’t know of any other situation of a malapropism becoming the “correct” usage over time, so I wonder if something more nuanced is going on here.
Last edited by jorkel (2007-07-23 22:42:17)
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