Frank Teuton wrote: > > Allan squirmed: > > > > I guess I'm uncomfortable with the words 'biodynamic' and > > 'manipulated' so close together in a sentence. > > Most people dislike the word 'manipulated' and like the word 'handled'. I > think it has something to do with Guillaume the Conquerer, and the > imposition of French by the Normans, on the vanquished Saxons, or something > like that. > > Manipulated, from the Latin 'manus' (hand) and the French manipule, as > opposed to the Germanic monosyllabic hand, handle. > > Too many syllables, plus unpleasant peasant memories of conquest. > > Frank
It can be more than mere memories of conquest. In Brazilian Portuguese at least "manipular" (to manipulate) has a very negative meaning. Most of the time, at least. I think it comes from way the puppets are manipulated. So, anything that is "manipulated" does not have a life of its own, no personality, no character, no distinguishing feature, being the manifestation of someone else's will and power. I'd say most of the time "to manipulate" means NOT to produce with the use of the hands (original meaning), but rather to control in order to secure one's own advantage (most of the time) using deceptiveness and guile The only usage I can remember in Portuguese where there is no visible negative implication is in drug manipulation when a prescription is filled by skillful pharmacist. But even here big drug industries would try to convince the consumers that "manipulation" is outdated... :-) As far as I am concerned I'd rather avoid this word for positive things and reserve it for things like government that manipulate the masses, press that manipulate the truth, Monsanto that manipulate both the DNA and the consumer, so on and so forth... My two cents. - fernando -- REDUZIR, REUSAR, RECICLAR -- Dever de todos, amor aos que vir�o REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE -- Everybody's duty, love to those who are to come Fernando Cabral Padrao iX Sistemas Abertos mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pix.com.br Fone Direto: +55 61 329-0206 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] PABX: +55 61 329-0202 Fax: +55 61 326-3082 15� 45' 04.9" S (23 L 0196446/8256520) 47� 49' 58.6" W 19� 37' 57.0" S (23 K 0469898/7829161) 45� 17' 13.6" W
