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Is this word appropriate? 3
- Thread starter Thadeus
- Start date
Hrm.. I would say "with urgency".
An emergency sounds similar to, but has a different root from, emergently (if that word even exists...)
"That time in Seattle... was a nightmare. I came out of it dead broke, without a house, without anything except a girlfriend and a knowledge of UNIX."
"Well, that's something," Avi says. "Normally those two are mutually exclusive."
-- Neal Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon"
An emergency sounds similar to, but has a different root from, emergently (if that word even exists...)
"That time in Seattle... was a nightmare. I came out of it dead broke, without a house, without anything except a girlfriend and a knowledge of UNIX."
"Well, that's something," Avi says. "Normally those two are mutually exclusive."
-- Neal Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon"
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- #4
RodKnowlton
MIS
- Apr 26, 2000
- 1,005
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Merriam Webster has the noun form as the second main entry (hence the "2" in your quote). The first is as an adjective. Since "emergent" doesn't end in "y" and isn't an irregular case, "emergently" is a perfectly valid adverb. Dictionaries don't typically list adverb forms of adjectives, because they can be derived so easily.
Now, whether it's used appropriately in the example sentence is a whole other matter. For a general audience, it is not. The adverb phrase "with haste" might be a better choice.
It appears to be from a medical text, though, and if "emergently" is widely used in this context then it's part of their jargon, and acceptable if the entire reading audience can be expected to understand the jargon.
- Rod
Now, whether it's used appropriately in the example sentence is a whole other matter. For a general audience, it is not. The adverb phrase "with haste" might be a better choice.
It appears to be from a medical text, though, and if "emergently" is widely used in this context then it's part of their jargon, and acceptable if the entire reading audience can be expected to understand the jargon.
- Rod
KenCunningham
Technical User
Perhaps 'expressly' would do as an alternative, but certainly with urgency will suffice.
Alan Bennett said:
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- #6
CajunCenturion
Programmer
That would qualify as a neologism. I think 'urgently' would be a far better choice.
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KenCunningham
Technical User
CC. Yes, it's obviously my misunderstanding of the meaning of the word expressly all these years!
Alan Bennett said:
CajunCenturion
Programmer
I think expressly would work just as well.
I also did a little reading and I must recant my original post. It is not a neologism and it is being used correctly.
I stand corrected.
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I also did a little reading and I must recant my original post. It is not a neologism and it is being used correctly.
I stand corrected.
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- Thread starter
- #10
Thank you MAI! As usual, I have received so much more than a definition.
And just FYI, this sentence was not from a medical journal, but was written by an ER doctor. It is regarding Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) and his health issues of the past 24 hours.
Thanks again,
Thadeus
And just FYI, this sentence was not from a medical journal, but was written by an ER doctor. It is regarding Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) and his health issues of the past 24 hours.
Thanks again,
Thadeus
CC, I think you should recant your recant.
In the OP, emergently is modifying proceed. It says how the patient should proceed.
None of the definitions of emergent in the link you gave seem to work. I'm going to use go instead of proceed because it makes things clearer:
1. Rising or emerging out of a fluid or anything that covers or conceals; issuing; coming to light
He should risingly go to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would rise or emerge out of anything.]
He should go in an issuing manner to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would issue forth from anything.]
He should go, in a manner as if coming to light, to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would go as if coming to light.]
2. Suddenly appearing; arising unexpectedly; calling for prompt action
He should proceed in a suddenly appearing way to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would suddenly appear, even though that may occur.]
He should proceed in a way that he will arise unexpectedly in the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would arise unexpectedly, even though that may occur.]
He should proceed in a manner calling for prompt action to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he should go in a manner calling for prompt action, even though his arrival my do so.]
Finally, urgent seems to work at first blush:
He should proceed in an urgent way to the operating room.
However, I think this meaning is not true to the one intended by definition 2. Note that urgent is not a definition by itself as, say, definition 3. It is one word which in conjunction with the other phrases in definition 2 help shade the particular meaning.
To me, emergent gives a sense of just noticed, very recent, perhaps precipitously so. Something just recognized, something only now being produced. Things that are urgent almost always arrive precipitously and have only recently come to our awareness. If we knew about them earlier, we would have taken care of them before they became urgent.
So urgent meaning "having just arrived precipitously and demanding immediate attention" it doesn't work to say:
He should proceed in a way having just arrived precipitously and demanding immediate attention to the operating room.
The speaker simply meant that it is urgent that he proceed to the operating room. Or, he should proceed without delay, with all haste.
In the OP, emergently is modifying proceed. It says how the patient should proceed.
None of the definitions of emergent in the link you gave seem to work. I'm going to use go instead of proceed because it makes things clearer:
1. Rising or emerging out of a fluid or anything that covers or conceals; issuing; coming to light
He should risingly go to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would rise or emerge out of anything.]
He should go in an issuing manner to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would issue forth from anything.]
He should go, in a manner as if coming to light, to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would go as if coming to light.]
2. Suddenly appearing; arising unexpectedly; calling for prompt action
He should proceed in a suddenly appearing way to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would suddenly appear, even though that may occur.]
He should proceed in a way that he will arise unexpectedly in the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he would arise unexpectedly, even though that may occur.]
He should proceed in a manner calling for prompt action to the operating room. [The speaker did not meant to say he should go in a manner calling for prompt action, even though his arrival my do so.]
Finally, urgent seems to work at first blush:
He should proceed in an urgent way to the operating room.
However, I think this meaning is not true to the one intended by definition 2. Note that urgent is not a definition by itself as, say, definition 3. It is one word which in conjunction with the other phrases in definition 2 help shade the particular meaning.
To me, emergent gives a sense of just noticed, very recent, perhaps precipitously so. Something just recognized, something only now being produced. Things that are urgent almost always arrive precipitously and have only recently come to our awareness. If we knew about them earlier, we would have taken care of them before they became urgent.
So urgent meaning "having just arrived precipitously and demanding immediate attention" it doesn't work to say:
He should proceed in a way having just arrived precipitously and demanding immediate attention to the operating room.
The speaker simply meant that it is urgent that he proceed to the operating room. Or, he should proceed without delay, with all haste.
CajunCenturion
Programmer
No thank you. I'm going to stand by my recant.
==> None of the definitions of emergent in the link you gave seem to work.
I disagree. The definition, "calling for prompt action" fits very nicely in its inflected form.
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==> None of the definitions of emergent in the link you gave seem to work.
I disagree. The definition, "calling for prompt action" fits very nicely in its inflected form.
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He didn't mean that the patient's proceeding should be done in a way calling for prompt action. (Perhaps the situation did.)
The speaker simply meant to proceed promptly. And that's different than in a way calling for prompt action.
This is somewhat similar to:
Unfortunately, I lost $10.
It is unfortunate that I lost $10.
The former sentence, while generally accepted, is technically incorrect and not actually saying that the I lost $10 in an unfortunate manner. That would mean something more than just losing $10--something like, I lost it at knife point and am now in the emergency room because I got stabbed.
The speaker simply meant to proceed promptly. And that's different than in a way calling for prompt action.
This is somewhat similar to:
Unfortunately, I lost $10.
It is unfortunate that I lost $10.
The former sentence, while generally accepted, is technically incorrect and not actually saying that the I lost $10 in an unfortunate manner. That would mean something more than just losing $10--something like, I lost it at knife point and am now in the emergency room because I got stabbed.
SantaMufasa
Technical User
ESquared, as a side bar (and since this is a "love-of-language" forum), I am fascinated by your use of the term "meant" (as you used it several times above):
Would you be willing to elaborate on the background/basis of your use of "meant"? Have I been missing something all of these years that I should have "learnt" in my youth?
![[santa]](/data/assets/smilies/santa.gif "[santa] [santa]")
Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
The only use of "meant", as far as I am aware, is as the past tense of the infinitive, "to mean", and rhyming with the word "tent".Esquared said:
Would you be willing to elaborate on the background/basis of your use of "meant"? Have I been missing something all of these years that I should have "learnt" in my youth?
Mufasa(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
CajunCenturion
Programmer
==> The former sentence, while generally accepted, is technically incorrect and not actually saying that the I lost $10 in an unfortunate manner.
I disagree completely. In this sentence, "Unfortunately, I lost $10.", the comma identifies 'unfortunately' as an introductory parenthetical element.
If the comma were omitted, then you'd have a problem, but as long as the comma is there, the sentence is fine.
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I disagree completely. In this sentence, "Unfortunately, I lost $10.", the comma identifies 'unfortunately' as an introductory parenthetical element.
If the comma were omitted, then you'd have a problem, but as long as the comma is there, the sentence is fine.
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SantaMufasa,
Great catch! I confess to being too handy with shortcut keys, specifically, those for cut and paste. I cut-and-pasted my single typo into six of them! Cool!
CajunCenturion,
I would like to get the definitive word on "introductory [parenthetical] elements," particularly simple adverbs like unfortunately. Do you have a comment on this for me or some resources for me to study online?
Tod E Jones' English Grammar & Punctuation seems to support your claim, but Craig Waddell's Basic Prose Style and Mechanics lists only "a clause, phrase, conjunctive adverb, or mild interjection" and unfortunately isn't necessarily conjunctive. Hmmmmm, I do see some notes about sentence adverbs.
In any case the point I was trying to make still seems to hold. Even if both of my "unfortunate[ly]" sentences are correct, it is still true that in neither does the unfortunate word modify the verb. And it likewise still seems to me that emergently can't possibly properly modify proceed.
Great catch! I confess to being too handy with shortcut keys, specifically, those for cut and paste. I cut-and-pasted my single typo into six of them! Cool!
CajunCenturion,
I would like to get the definitive word on "introductory [parenthetical] elements," particularly simple adverbs like unfortunately. Do you have a comment on this for me or some resources for me to study online?
Tod E Jones' English Grammar & Punctuation seems to support your claim, but Craig Waddell's Basic Prose Style and Mechanics lists only "a clause, phrase, conjunctive adverb, or mild interjection" and unfortunately isn't necessarily conjunctive. Hmmmmm, I do see some notes about sentence adverbs.
In any case the point I was trying to make still seems to hold. Even if both of my "unfortunate[ly]" sentences are correct, it is still true that in neither does the unfortunate word modify the verb. And it likewise still seems to me that emergently can't possibly properly modify proceed.
CajunCenturion
Programmer
Introductory parenthetical elements are elements which are both introductory and parenthetical. They are two distinct attributes. An introductory element doesn't have to be parenthetical, and not all parenthetical elements are introductory. Sometimes, however, an element may be both parenthetical and introductory.
Mr. Waddell's description of "a clause, phrase, conjunctive adverb, or mild interjection" applies to an introductory element regardless of whether or not it's parenthetical. In the very next section, Mr. Waddell begins the treatment of parenthetical elements.
==> it is still true that in neither does the unfortunate word modify the verb.
Exactly, which is why the claim of your first sentence being 'technically incorrect' is unfounded.
==> And it likewise still seems to me that emergently can't possibly properly modify proceed.
I see nothing wrong with proceeding urgently. Here is another reference.
I also want to thank Thadeus for bringing this up. It's a good word.
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
Mr. Waddell's description of "a clause, phrase, conjunctive adverb, or mild interjection" applies to an introductory element regardless of whether or not it's parenthetical. In the very next section, Mr. Waddell begins the treatment of parenthetical elements.
==> it is still true that in neither does the unfortunate word modify the verb.
Exactly, which is why the claim of your first sentence being 'technically incorrect' is unfounded.
==> And it likewise still seems to me that emergently can't possibly properly modify proceed.
I see nothing wrong with proceeding urgently. Here is another reference.
I also want to thank Thadeus for bringing this up. It's a good word.
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
I relinquish that claim.CajunCenturion said:
As for emergently I finally did a simple web search for "emergently urgently" and there are plenty of pages which use both words in a way that suggests they have a distinct meaning.
• ... formed emergently in five cases, urgently in seven cases, and electively in five cases.
• ... emergently in two patients and urgently in the remaining ...
• Twenty procedures were performed emergently, 11 urgently, and three were considered elective.
• This measure is used to assess the percentage of patients with diagnosed heart failure where heart failure is diagnosed urgently or emergently (i.e., not on admission or at periodic assessment).
• HD was performed as scheduled in 85% (emergently 10%, urgently 5%).
• The infected PV-s were replaced emergently (14%), urgently (79%) or electively (7%).
It appears to be common usage, and that would make me 100% wrong that emergently is not a proper adverb for proceed!
There seems to be some special connotation of the meaning in the medical field and it is not just a simple synonym of urgently.
The speaker most likely did not simply mean urgently.
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