Addiction

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HelenBrits
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Addiction

Postby HelenBrits » Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:28 am

Thinking of the recent demise of Whitney Houston, and Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and many other talented people, I was wondering where does the word come from and what exactly does it mean?

Perry Lassiter
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Postby Perry Lassiter » Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:50 pm

Addiction comes from Latin. Ad=to, and dicere means "say." going back to the early 16th century, the word meant to judge, who could deliver someone into slavery. It seems to have moved on to include some peronal traits. A couple of dictionaries pointed out that we are really dealing with self-addiction.
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Slava
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Postby Slava » Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:32 pm

An excellent source for such queries is the Online Etymology Dictionary at http://www.etymonline.com.

On this one, here's what they have:
addiction c.1600, "tendency," of habits, pursuits, etc.; 1640s as "state of being self-addicted," from L. addictionem (nom. addictio) "an awarding, a devoting," noun of action from pp. stem of addicere (see addict). Earliest sense was less severe: "inclination, penchant," but this has become obsolete. In main modern sense it is first attested 1906, in ref. to opium (there is an isolated instance from 1779, with ref. to tobacco).
And:
addict (v.) 1530s (implied in addicted), from L. addictus, pp. of addicere "to deliver, award, yield; give assent, make over, sell," figuratively "to devote, consecrate; sacrifice, sell out, betray" from ad- "to" (see ad-) + dicere "say, declare" (see diction), but also "adjudge, allot." Earlier in English as an adjective, "delivered, devoted" (1520s).
I like how it makes clear the self-addiction idea. Addicts have sold themselves out, betrayed themselves, sacrificed themselves to something. It may not help in the idea of modern treatment, but it does make clearer the whole concept.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Dr. Goodword
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ADDICTION

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:16 am

This is a good one. I'll do it.
• The Good Dr. Goodword

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Slava
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Re: ADDICTION

Postby Slava » Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:29 pm

This is a good one. I'll do it.
And here it is for everyone's delectation.

www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=33323
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.


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