Friday, June 27, 2008

S.O.S. -- Abrasion vs. Cut vs. Scratch

I am fascinated by language, especially how it is ever-changing.
Regretfully, I see changes that I don't like -- the loss of formality, loss of finesse with the use of our language that people used to take pride in developing.

I came across a nice old book called S.O.S. -- Slips of Speech and How to Avoid Them

Here is an example of the detail with which our grandparents and great-grandparents learned the English language:

abrasion, cut, gash, graze, incision, scrape, scratch ,wound,should be carefully distinguished for they do not mean the same thing. Abrasion denotes a place where the surface is rubbed off or or worn off by friction; as, an abrasion of the skin. A cut is an opening, cleft, gash, or wound made by an edged instrument; a gash; slit; a gash is a long deep incision made by a sharp instrument; a flesh wound; a graze is a slight scratch, scrape or abrasion; an incision is an opening made with a cutting-instrument as by a surgeon; it is a cut.
Scrape designates an abrasion where, through roughness or carelessness, the skin has been grazed or scratched. a scratch is a mark or incision made on a surface by scratching, a linear abrasion made by drawing something pointed or rough across the skin; hence producing a slight flesh wound or cut.

A slit is a cut that is relatively long; a slash or gash; cleft; also, it is a narrow opening. A wound is a hurt or injury caused by violence; especially a breach of the skin and flesh of an animal; a cut, a stab, or bruise; as in the wounds of battle. In surgery, the word signifies always the solution of continuity, or disruption of the soft parts of the body.

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