I refer to Mr Janadas Devan's commentary last Sunday, 'A question of great enormity'. I feel the same way about how some words have been 'deformed' through use.

I also keep a little record of such language deformation.

Take the phrase the 'calculus of their analyses'.

I could never quite grasp how the mathematics of infinitesimal changes or the part of mathematics called 'analysis' to which calculus belongs could be applied to the twists and turns of political or military events. 'Calculus' as applied to a geometric curve, with its turning points and tangents, makes sense though.

The word 'decimate' used to mean 'to reduce by a tenth', but now, it could mean 'to reduce to one-tenth'. Along with this thinking, one United States Navy admiral appeared before Congress and justified why he should be given the budget to acquire 'penultimate weapons' for the Star Wars programme to decimate incoming hostile missiles.

Now, many cities along the Silk Route have been described as 'epicentres' of trade and discovery.

But how could a city directly above a geological fault - called a hypocentre - end up being an epicentre of exotic travel?

I also often wonder how some employees shower 'fulsome praise' on their bosses - and they mean it; they are not even being sarcastic.

Full praise for all who call a spade a spade and not an entrenching tool.

Chen Sen Lenn

This article was first published in The Straits Times.