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vestigial

English translation: outdated

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:vestigial
Selected answer:outdated
Entered by: Sven Petersson

17:07 Jan 5, 2002
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / sociology
English term or phrase: vestigial
perilis of vestigial thought
outdated (thoughts)
Explanation:
The expression "vestigial thought" is from:
The Work of Nations
Preparing Ourselves for 21st-Century Capitalism, Robert Reich,
New York: Vintage Books 1991

From the book it is clear that the author uses "vestigial thought" for "outdated thoughts".
Selected response from:

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 04:32
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +3outdated (thoughts)
Sven Petersson
5 +1Rudimentary / undeveloped
Monica Colangelo
4vestigial
Andrea Bullrich
4Context, please...
athena22
4 -1being a vestige or trace, remaining
Jacek Krankowski (X)
4 -2The danger of thought when only traces of it remain
Maya Jurt


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
being a vestige or trace, remaining


Explanation:
vestige = a trace, a sign, a slight amount, a particle, a remainder

Cheers,

Jacek


    The Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary
Jacek Krankowski (X)
Grading comment
in this sentence structure it means not useful

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Monica Colangelo: not in this context
13 mins
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The asker has declined this answer
Comment: in this sentence structure it means not useful

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
vestigial


Explanation:
Vestigial comes from "vestige": "a still existing small part or amount of something larger, stornger or more important that existed in the past but does not exist now" (Cambridge International Dictionary of English). Related words I can think of: "traces", perhaps "remains".

HTH
Andrea


    see above
Andrea Bullrich
Local time: 23:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
The danger of thought when only traces of it remain


Explanation:
1. Of, relating to, or constituting a vestige. 2. Biology Occurring or persisting as a rudimentary or degenerate structure.

vestige


SYLLABICATION: ves·tige
PRONUNCIATION: /61/wavs/72/V0077200.wav/61/wavs/72/V0077200.wavvstj
NOUN: 1. A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more. 2. Biology A rudimentary or degenerate, usually nonfunctioning, structure that is the remnant of an organ or part that was fully developed or functioning in a preceding generation or an earlier stage of development.
ETYMOLOGY: French, from Old French, from Latin vestgium.




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Note added at 2002-01-05 17:20:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Source: American Heritage Dictionary

Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 04:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Monica Colangelo: not in this context
12 mins
disagree  Sven Petersson: See below!
1 hr
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Rudimentary / undeveloped


Explanation:
That´s what vestigial means when referring to thought, education, etc.

Monica Colangelo
Argentina
Local time: 23:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Maya Jurt: Maybe, but that is an expression of the creationists. Do you have more context than philosophy?
39 mins
  -> Sorry, Maya. I don't quite get what you mean
disagree  Sven Petersson: See below!
1 hr
agree  Hermeneutica: If Reich [one of the finest thinkers of our time] used it to mean outdated, he or his editors slipped.
23 hrs
  -> Thanks a bunch, Dee
agree  Nenija Hasanic
4 days
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
outdated (thoughts)


Explanation:
The expression "vestigial thought" is from:
The Work of Nations
Preparing Ourselves for 21st-Century Capitalism, Robert Reich,
New York: Vintage Books 1991

From the book it is clear that the author uses "vestigial thought" for "outdated thoughts".



    Reference: http://www.i4.auc.dk/ibj/reich_sk.htm
Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 04:32
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maya Jurt: Good solution, if it fits.
28 mins
  -> Thank you very much!
agree  Andrea Bullrich: Congrats, your geriatric brain is certainly not outdated! :-)
7 hrs
  -> Thank you very much!
agree  Bilingualduo: I'd go for this solution, unless more context changes the scenery...
2 days 19 hrs
  -> Thank you very much!
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Context, please...


Explanation:
As a native English speaker with a decent vocabulary, I can't really tell whether rudimentary or outdated is the right answer from just this tiny phrase, although I would go with Sven's "outdated" if I had to choose. This is one case where more context would REALLY help us help you. Can you give us the sentence, please?
Thanks!

athena22
United States
Local time: 19:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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