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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Toleration or Tolerance
I just happened to be reading a review of a new book in the LA Times Book Review, called "How the Ideas of Religious Toleration Came to the West" by Peter Zagrin. My concentration on reading the content of the review was distracted by the question of why the author should have chosen the word "toleration" rather than "tolerance". (It sounds like a good book, incidentally.)
Yes, the two words mean closely the same thing and looking up both in the dictionary and thesaurus is an exercise in non-productivity. "Toleration" seems, however, to bring to mind the "Toleration Act of 1689", Am I alone in thinking that toleration is a dated and marginally obsolescent word...or perhaps a more erudite word? Or is the usage a tranpondian thing?...or am I full of hot air?
Tom
Yes, the two words mean closely the same thing and looking up both in the dictionary and thesaurus is an exercise in non-productivity. "Toleration" seems, however, to bring to mind the "Toleration Act of 1689", Am I alone in thinking that toleration is a dated and marginally obsolescent word...or perhaps a more erudite word? Or is the usage a tranpondian thing?...or am I full of hot air?
Tom
Top answer
The difference is that "tolerance" is the action or process of exhibiting the referenced attitude; "toleration" is the result of that action or process. Many -ence words have a matching form in -ency that differentiates as "state of" rather than "action or process of", but there is no "tolerancy". Well, blow me down, mates, there is, though the OED marks it "rare".
- The difference is that "tolerance" is the action or process of exhibiting the referenced attitude; "toleration" is the result of that action or process.
- Many -ence words have a matching form in -ency that differentiates as "state of" rather than "action or process of", but there is no "tolerancy".
- Well, blow me down, mates, there is, though the OED marks it "rare".
- " I reckon "tolerancy" and "toleration" to be close kin.
- com/english /
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2 Answers
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The difference is that "tolerance" is the action or process of exhibiting the referenced attitude; "toleration" is the result of that action or process.
Many -ence words have a matching form in -ency that differentiates as "state of" rather than "action or process of", but there is no "tolerancy".
Well, blow me down, mates, there is, though the OED marks it "rare". Coleridge is quoted: "I
Many -ence words have a matching form in -ency that differentiates as "state of" rather than "action or process of", but there is no "tolerancy".
Well, blow me down, mates, there is, though the OED marks it "rare". Coleridge is quoted: "I
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[nq:1]Yes, the two words mean closely the same thing and looking up both in the dictionary and thesaurus is an ... obsolescent word...or perhaps a more erudite word? Or is the usage a tranpondian thing?...or am I full of hot air?[/nq]
They both sound equally fine to my USAn ears. There may be slight nuances. I tend to think of toleration as an act and tolerance as an attitude. Hence, whether t
They both sound equally fine to my USAn ears. There may be slight nuances. I tend to think of toleration as an act and tolerance as an attitude. Hence, whether t
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