Re: Alternative word for "execute"

["Walker, Arlen P" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>]

My goodness! My Bogosity Alert Bell hasn't rang like that since the last
time I visted DC. ;{>} If I may (or even if I may not):

      1. Internationalization: One word should have one meaning, and
      execution means the putting to death of a human being by the state as
      a penalty for certain crimes (while the death penalty has been
      abolished by Canada, some countries still execute people for certain
      crimes)

I'm not aware of a single language on the planet in which every word has
only one meaning. It's neither possible nor desirable for that to be the
case. The sad(?) fact is that words grow as new ideas are thought and
inventions created. If we seriously tried to hold to that line, we'd spend
all our time inventing new words.

Now if you care to argue that within the context of a given document (or
set of documents) it's best to have only one meaning per word, then *maybe*
I can go along with you. Of course, you'd have to also be talking about
capital punishment somewhere in your document in order for that point to
apply. I may be venturing out on a limb here, but I don't think SIMWare
does capital punishment.

      2. Clarity: the other meaning of execute actually puts a stop to
      something (a life), so using execution to mean "carrying out" or
      "running" sounds abit confusing. (For this reason that I never use
      the word "sanction", which has two diametrically opposed meanings).

My, that was a reach! I wonder how many people make an immediate
association between "execute" and "put a stop to something?" I sure would.
Yeah, right. ("He used *sarcasm.*")

Long before there were computers, the meaning of execution was "carrying
out." In fact the meaning you use for it, state-sponsored vengeance, I
think is derived from the fact that the person doing the killing is
carrying out, or "executing," the will of the state.

"Executives" are those who carry out the will of the company. "Executors"
carry out the last wishes of person as documented in their will. "To carry
out instructions" is a long-standing meaning of execute (and in all the
dictionaries I've consulted it's the primary one).

Look, I'm not saying you *have* to use execute. Use it or not, as you
choose. Just don't try to disguise your verbicidal campaign with lofty
ideals. It only highlights how ridiculous the whole idea is. Are we next
going to have to find replacement words for "cleansing," now that *it's*
added a genocidal context? ("Oh No! Charley! Quick! If we keep calling Ajax
a cleanser people are going to get confused and think it's a genocidal
aid!")


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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