Paul Trustenwrote in USMA 9563: >. We kind of did this with >the word "decimate", which literally means to reduce to one-tenth of the >original quantity, but is first taken to mean some great reduction is >quantity, as in a decimation of troop strength in wartime. Decimate originally meant to reduce by 1/10, not reduce to 1/10. It was a measure used in the Roman armies to maintain discipline. If a regiment was unruly every tenth member was executed.
