Grammar question

[Zaevod]

I know this is a bizarre place for this, but is it gramatically correct to say "to cessate X", as in "to end X"?

I know there's "cease" and "cessation", but "to cessate" doesn't return a lot of results on google, even though some people have definitely used it in this context. It's either ridiculously obscure or just plain wrong. Help, it's killing me.

[ilikexd]

Re: Grammar question

'cessate' is not a word in the dictionaries I checked.

this isn't a grammar question though

[devonin]

Re: Grammar question

You'd bring about a cessation. You don't cessate things. You cause cessation to happen.

[Zaevod]

Re: Grammar question

Ok, thanks. English isn't my first language. It seemed right to me for some reason, lol

[Pseudo Enigma]

Re: Grammar question

to cease(v) something is to cause cessation(n). They come from the same word do they not? (Latin - cedere)

otherwise your assumption wasn't wrong at all.

[MinaciousGrace]

Re: Grammar question

while we're on the subject can people please learn the difference between lesser and fewer

[Cavernio]

Re: Grammar question

The lesser people know the difference the better to piss you off.

[ilikexd]

Re: Grammar question

while we're on the subject can people please learn the difference between lesser and fewer

i've never come across any instance of somebody confusing those

[Cavernio]

Re: Grammar question

I used to all the time to the annoyance of my former SO. I probably use it when, in my head, there's not a clear distinction between number and amount. Like, something can have a lot of apple in it and can have a lot of apples in it. Sure the sentence is different if I say 'I want fewer apples' or 'I want less apple' but I would easily say 'I want less apples'.
I wouldn't say I want lesser apples though I suppose.

[benguino]

Re: Grammar question

i've never come across any instance of somebody confusing those

Have you been to a supermarket?

[ilikexd]

Re: Grammar question

Have you been to a supermarket?

yes

[Zaevod]

Re: Grammar question

Maybe they know the difference and are just trying to insult things.

[benguino]

Re: Grammar question

yes

I guess the point is the most common place I see people mixing them up is at the supermarket where you have those express lanes for "10 items or less"

[ilikexd]

Re: Grammar question

oh, i meant lesser and fewer

descriptively both less and fewer are used to describe smaller quantities of countable items. since people use those words that way and have been doing so for hundreds of years i think it's erroneous to correct the usage of less for countable items, and in strictly doing so is sometimes a hypercorrection that causes unidiomatic phrasing in certain cases.

[benguino]

Re: Grammar question

oh, i meant lesser and fewer

descriptively both less and fewer used to describe smaller naztities of countable items. since the ple use my ose words that way and have been doing so for hundreds of years i think it's erroneous to correct the usage of less for countable items, and in strictly doing so is sometimes a hypercorrection that causes unidiomatic phrasing in certain cases.

Ah ok, I was lumping together lesser, fewer, and all of their immediate deviations. Youre right though, being a grammar nazi 100% of the time isn't the best thing for society.