Vocabulary
Ok, I need some help today. I heard the word “disinvestment” and frankly it makes me want to scream. I looked it up and it is in the dictionary and it is a real word. I understand that it is a word, but I am thinking that “divestiture” is a better word that a whole hell of a lot of people use more frequently.
So I need to figure out the history of disinvestment. Was it created out of (poor) usage? Is it any different than “divestiture?”
I am thinking Jarataur will enjoy this assignment.
Thanks for all your help!
deezo feezo Said,
August 24, 2004 @ 10:17 am
Their snonyms, actuallt divestiture came up as a snonym to Disinvestment, and disinvestment did not come up as a synonym to divestiture.
It is alot like the Steven Segul move Out for Justice and Marked for Death, both featured Steven Segul fighting gang members for revenge in one movie (Marked for Death) the gangs were jamaican, in the latter (Out for Justice) The gang was African American.
The act of liquidating a company is like Steven Segul, because he is present in both occurences, the difference is in the title were some key elements may be disimilar, but the fundamental meaning is the same.
Steven Segul kicks ass!
jarataur Said,
August 24, 2004 @ 11:35 am
Thanks, and I DO like this assignment.
Disinvestment is a perfectly valid word. It sounds a little funny I think because of the double prefixes. I think what is more interesting is the root. Vest. Vest is the root. Clothe. It’s the same in Latin. Now, the prefix “in” in Latin is the most tricky, as it can mean all kinds of things. Investire literally means “to clothe” but came into larger use as “to surround”. That still doesn’t get to our modern meaning.
We think of investment as a gain… we put something in and get more out. Maybe it is because you invested in your employees… you gave them CLOTHES and stuff and they worked for you. I dunno.
Now “dis” means “not” but can also be used in the “undo” sense. Disarrange. Weird. I would say unarrange. and I would say uninvest. But I wouldn’t say uninvestment. IU wouldn’t say disinvest. But I would say disinvestment.
But of course when I am getting all sexy with my wife, *Carmen*, I frequently say “Shall we disinvest?” Now that’s sexy!
Justin Said,
August 24, 2004 @ 2:12 pm
I have a book on word origins at home. Sadly, this sounds like corporate speak, so there isn’t likely to be a fun story behind it.
Etymology is fun! Not so much the roots and stuff (which can still sometimes be fun), but the stories behind how things came to be called what they’re called. Canada, for example, is from an indian word (native american word? native canadian word?)[this post will be tracked for traces of ethnic insensitivity] meaning “home.” I went weeks without sleep in an effort to find that out [plainly an exaggeration].
dittoHeston Said,
August 24, 2004 @ 4:02 pm
I can’t give you the history of the words, but I can tell you that, according to the internet (which we all know speaks only the truth), there is a difference. Investorwords.com tells us that disinvestment means a reduction in capital investment, while divestiture means the disposition or sale of an asset by a company.
And now we are all smarter.
kiddicus erectus gigantus Said,
August 24, 2004 @ 4:22 pm
disinvestment? sounds too much like disencouraging or disintensifying. the latter two are words conjugated only in my mind and hold no real value. antiundisfortunately (#3), disinvestment is a word. you are correct, and i also would use divestiture.
although considering i’m not a corporate lackey sellout douchebag, i don’t think either of these words will be entering my most-used list anytime soon.
jarataur Said,
August 26, 2004 @ 11:21 am
Clothing. Textiles. Surround.
It would be very proper to say “I intent to disinvest from my smoking jacket.” Or “My successful removal of my full length cloak was a fortuitous disinventment.”
All other uses are management speak.