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However, the change in usage went from debatable, to not even debatable. That is a change to the opposite meaning.
Oh, I wasn't disputing that! I was being a bit facetious because your post reminded me how many times I have seen "mute point" written.
"Moot" is actually an interesting example. I remember learning the definition ("debatable") in school back in the late '70s. It's not a word I ever used, so in the past 10-15 years when I've heard it used in the sense of its new definition, I thought I must just be remembering wrong.
I've not encountered any usage of nonplussed as meaning the opposite of perplexed. My trustworthy Merriam-Webster Collegiate shows it as per its usual definition.
I've not encountered any usage of nonplussed as meaning the opposite of perplexed. My trustworthy Merriam-Webster Collegiate shows it as per its usual definition.
I have found several definitions of nonplussed stating that it can mean "not disconcerted; unperturbed."
I've not encountered any usage of nonplussed as meaning the opposite of perplexed. My trustworthy Merriam-Webster Collegiate shows it as per its usual definition.
When I saw the word in another thread, I just did a quick online search and several of the hits I got on the first page listed both meanings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder
I have found several definitions of nonplussed stating that it can mean "not disconcerted; unperturbed."
Well this thread was a wake up call. For years, I had thought "nonplussed" meant "annoyed" - sort of the contranym of Dirt Grinder's definition of "not disconcerted" and "unperturbed."
But continuing with the subtopic of words that have shifted in meaning, I suspect "warmly" has changed in meaning.
Specifically, if you read in a contemporary novel, "She responded warmly," you would think that it meant she had responded kindly and with affection. However, I believe that when Jane Austen was writing her novels and wrote, "she responded warmly," she meant something akin to "harshly," and that the "warmth" in the response was similar to the warmth you would feel if you were slapped on your cheek. Unfortunately, the context of the phrasing made deciphering the meaning difficult.
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