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From: S.Yussof@unsw.EDU.AU (Shaharin Yussof)
Subject: Re: Second, rhymes with abscond!
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In article <3d2s7t$4ai@dekalb.DC.PeachNet.EDU>, 
daddleto@dekalb.dc.peachnet.edu says...
>
>
>Whence the word `second', a verb, pronounced to rhyme with `abscond'?
>
>My dad showed up last year from a career on the Indian subcontinent using 
>the word as in "My neighbor seconded my servant and used him for his own 
>purposes" or "Clinton seconded a few state troopers to guard his hotel 
>room for illicit purposes"  -- these sentences are used to illustrate the 
>word and not to make any true or false statements about their subjects!

> [snip]

>Has anyone else seen or heard this word in English?  Is this an example 
>of an english fossil found on the subcontinent?

I doubt that it is a linguistic fossil of the subcontinent, thought there 
are a few. As far as I know, this word is still in common use in the 
non-North Americal English speaking world.  We use it here in Australia, 
and it is used in Malaysia and Singapore too.




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    Shaharin Yussof                          Tel: (+61 2) 385-5311
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