this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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Fun fact I learned from the book 1491, the Plymouth settlement was right on top of a native village that had just been wiped out by (likely) European disease, which was actively decimating the region's population.
Imagine, a bunch of crackers take over your dead cousin's house, mess everything up, half the people you know are sick and dying, and you still helped them... only for the remaining colonization effort to further destroy your population.
White people: not even once
Famed Indian Squanto, the one that taught the Pilgrims how to farm, did so partly because he was the last remaining member of the tribe from the abandoned village that the Pilgrims set up in. And partly because he spoke English, having just come back after living in England.
The first Indian the Pilgrims met was Samoset, who greeted them “Welcome, Englishmen” in English, which he’d learned from fishermen. He came to ask for beer. He later introduced the Pilgrims to Squanto.
I knew i was forgetting some details, thanks
Fun fact: Being decimated means that 10% die, and originally, it's a punishment that the 90% are forced to carry out against their comrades. Pretty sure that's a lot less bad than what the native americans suffered.
I was obviously using the figurative definition but yes that is the etymology.
The figurative definition is about as stupid as saying "literally" when it's not literal IMO.
You're decimating me here
chops off your lower right leg while sobbing
👍
Yes, not stupid at all!
If you want exact syntax free of cultural influence stop speaking English and make up your own language.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change?wprov=sfla1
What if it's fucking stupid, though?
Language makes stupid chances because people can be stupid, but that's okay. It doesn't make the intent of what is said any less genuine.
You sound like the French government in how they love to gatekeep the language and reject colloquialisms.