“Imprescindible” is a word in Spanish. It does not appear in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which I think is enough to disqualify it as a word in American English. The terms “essential” and “indispensable” are commonly used and shorter. I conclude that “imprescindible” is useless in American English and hope that anyone tempted to use it in the future will find the strength to resist.
Lived and worked on 5 continents, including one externally defined country of 10 million with 9 major language groups, and 92 distinct language dialects at the turn of the millennium (an agrarian collection of ancient societies with LOW mobility until Cecil B. Rhodes ran a train through it about the time a Dr. Livingstone was 'rediscovered' there).
Resistance to the evolution and merging of language leaves one with Babel, the archetypical failed communication state.
This externally defined nation, my home for 14 years, became a functioning modern state with a longer intact series of democratic transitions than the US (given Gore v Bush, & assassinations), ON THE BASIS of adopting a foreign colonial language as an official language, since it was the only common tongue of a majority of the educated class at independence 61 years ago.
Mr. Chiluba, the father of my first hire, who spoke 'the King's English' and employed Robert's rules of order in government meetings, was responsible for translating this constitution into Bemba, the most common of these 9 major language groups understood by a 30% population minority, and into Nyanja, the second most common 'language', which by then was actually a creole (mix) of many of the the others, but native to a small 4.5% population group called Chewa.
One comes to deeply appreciate the tolerance (and the emphasis on relationships between tribes) of the people of this nation, when one finally comes home to the US.
I couldn’t find that word. Can you tell me what it means?
essential or indispensable 🙂
Essential
Much easier to use and say. I like learning new words, but I prefer that they be useful - otherwise, I will forget them again.
Well, some words are useful, but some are iMprescindible! 😉
It's spelled "iMprescindible", not "in..."
“Imprescindible” is a word in Spanish. It does not appear in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which I think is enough to disqualify it as a word in American English. The terms “essential” and “indispensable” are commonly used and shorter. I conclude that “imprescindible” is useless in American English and hope that anyone tempted to use it in the future will find the strength to resist.
But Rex, “taco” is a word in Spanish, and it's delicious. 😄
Lived and worked on 5 continents, including one externally defined country of 10 million with 9 major language groups, and 92 distinct language dialects at the turn of the millennium (an agrarian collection of ancient societies with LOW mobility until Cecil B. Rhodes ran a train through it about the time a Dr. Livingstone was 'rediscovered' there).
Resistance to the evolution and merging of language leaves one with Babel, the archetypical failed communication state.
This externally defined nation, my home for 14 years, became a functioning modern state with a longer intact series of democratic transitions than the US (given Gore v Bush, & assassinations), ON THE BASIS of adopting a foreign colonial language as an official language, since it was the only common tongue of a majority of the educated class at independence 61 years ago.
Mr. Chiluba, the father of my first hire, who spoke 'the King's English' and employed Robert's rules of order in government meetings, was responsible for translating this constitution into Bemba, the most common of these 9 major language groups understood by a 30% population minority, and into Nyanja, the second most common 'language', which by then was actually a creole (mix) of many of the the others, but native to a small 4.5% population group called Chewa.
One comes to deeply appreciate the tolerance (and the emphasis on relationships between tribes) of the people of this nation, when one finally comes home to the US.
(Would have answered, Sandy, but others saw the questions first, and did fine!)