"Xfold increase"

Question

Hi. Can you supply an authoritative reference or simple and irrefutable argument about the correct meaning of "Xfold increase," or alternatively its ambiguity?
I copyedit a news publication and today corrected a writer who used "tenfold increase" as synonymous with "(increased to) ten times as much." I asserted it meant "(increased to) ten times more than."

But a quick check failed to unearth an authoritative discussion of the question. Having gotten slightly cold feet, I'll gladly settle for the position Robert Lieblich has taken on this newsgroup that it's ambiguous but I'd love something to back it up. Thanks.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hi. Can you supply an authoritative reference or simple and irrefutable argument about the correct meaning of "Xfold increase," or ... increase" as synonymous with "(increased to) ten times as much." I asserted it meant "(increased to) ten times more than."[/nq]
I hadn't ever thought about this, but this is parallel to the use and misuse of "ten times greater than" and "ten times as great as".

I have no reference, but you can try this argument:

What would a "one-fold increase" mean? What would "one time greater than" mean?
Begin rant: The thought occurs to me that those who originally thought think a ten-fold increase leaves a value 10 times as much, and not 11 times as much, are the ones who had trouble with multiplication in the 4th grade, (or second? When did you guys get to multiplication?) They may have just learned some rules without ever really appreciating the relationship to the real world. Now the misusage of "ten times greater than" is so common that even people who understood arithmetic are likely to pick up the bad habit.
I even saw a column by William F. Buckley where he misused that form. He gave the raw numbers also so I could tell, but often no raw numbers are given. (not the xfold form).
[nq:1]But a quick check failed to unearth an authoritative discussion of the question. Having gotten slightly cold feet, I'll gladly settle for the position Robert Lieblich has taken on this newsgroup that it's ambiguous but I'd love something to back it up. Thanks.[/nq]
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
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Usenet · Answer

Isn't there a similar argument over 'decimate'? Reduce 'by' or 'to' a tenth? Originally it was a particularly hideous punishment in the Roman Army (practiced on one occasion after a specific legion failed to bring Spartacus and his slave revolt to heel I believe) in which troops were told to call one in ten of their own comrades.
DCC

Usenet · Answer

read 'kill' for 'call'

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Isn't there a similar argument over 'decimate'? Reduce 'by' or 'to' a tenth? Originally it was a particularly hideous punishment ... slave revolt to heel I believe) in which troops were told to call one in ten of their own comrades.[/nq]
I think you meant "kill," not "call" in that last phrase.

To "decimate" in Roman times did indeed mean to select one-tenth of the troops and kill them. It was obviously a very serious matter and treated as such. In modern English the word has no specific mathematical meaning, notwithstanding its etymology. Here's a typical entry, from AHD4:
"1. To destroy or kill a large part of (a group). 2. Usage Problem a. To inflict great destruction or damage on: The fawns decimated my rose bushes. b. To reduce markedly in amount: a profligate heir who decimated his trust fund. 3. To select by lot and kill one in every ten of." A usage note explains:
"Decimate originally referred to the killing of every tenth person, a punishment used in the Roman army for mutinous legions. Today this meaning is commonly extended to include the killing of any large proportion of a group. Sixty-six percent of the Usage Panel accepts this extension in the sentence The Jewish population of Germany was decimated by the war, even though it is common knowledge that the number of Jews killed was much greater than a tenth of the original population. However, when the meaning is further extended to include large-scale destruction other than killing, as in The supply of fresh produce was decimated by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, only 26 percent of the Panel accepts the usage."
AFAIC, "decimate" remains a skunked word, and I try to avoid it.

Bob Lieblich
Who was married to Lucy, ol' buddy? Desi, mate

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What would a "one-fold increase" mean? What would "one time greater than" mean?[/nq]
This argument appeals to me, but the people I've tried it on won't bite. They've never heard of a "one-fold increase" and I can't say I have either.
I think this might be a case like trying to correctly substitute "careered" where "careened" is used where it doesn't matter that you're right if nobody gets it. LT

"Xfold increase"

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