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* "nice" once meant "foolish, silly, simple", and then later "exact, pedantic" rather than its current meaning of "pleasant"
* "nice" once meant "foolish, silly, simple", and then later "exact, pedantic" rather than its current meaning of "pleasant"
* "condescend" originally meant to forgo the privileges of rank and meet one's lessers on their level. It has been corrupted to mean "act arrogantly."
* "condescend" originally meant to forgo the privileges of rank and meet one's lessers on their level. It has been corrupted to mean "act arrogantly."
* "Pretty" used to mean nothing but "handsome, pleasant, beautiful," but has since taken on the added meaning of "moderately" or "fairly," suggesting a psychological inability to handle precision
* "Average" originally referred to a financial loss incurred due to damage to goods while being shipped between ports or cities. The word took on its modern meaning of "typical" in the late 18th century, suggesting a rise in the tolerance of mediocrity.
* "Pathetic" originally meant "moving, capable of stirring up powerful emotions." The meaning of "so piteous as to be laughable" only appeared in the early 20th century at a time when language was being emasculated by liberals.
* "Anal" originally was an adjective referring to the rectal area. Since the lunacies of Freudian terminology penetrated American English in the late 1950's, this word has come to mean "overly fussy."
Devolution of language also applies to [[vocabulary]] in general. Low [[literacy]] levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in [[literature]] but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. One report stated that the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public school|public schooling]].<ref>Decline from 25,000 to 10,000. ''Utne Reader'' (July-August 2000), 28-9.</ref>
Devolution of language also applies to [[vocabulary]] in general. Low [[literacy]] levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in [[literature]] but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. One report stated that the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public school|public schooling]].<ref>Decline from 25,000 to 10,000. ''Utne Reader'' (July-August 2000), 28-9.</ref>