diviant

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Taka

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Mar 7, 2004
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Let's say we have a teacher here. His way of teaching is very unique, totally different from those of ordinary teachers. If his students described him as a deviant, would you take the description as something positive (i.e He is different but good at teaching. And what he says in his class is worth listening to) or something negative (i.e. He is terrible at teaching and there is nothing to learn in his class)?
 
It is inappropriate in the context of way of teaching - deviant.
 
Because the focus of 'deviant' is on behavior?
 
Especially on behaviour that is considered not morally correct.
 
The same is true of the adjective 'deviant' and the past particle 'deviated'? 'His way of teaching is deviant/deviated' sounds strange?

The definition of the dictionary you provided says it is 'not considered normal'. Doesn't this 'not normal' mean 'unique' or 'different'?
 
Taka, for most people, 'deviant', adjective or noun, suggests 'not morally correct'. That's it. If you used the word of a teacher, you would expect that he was behaving improperly with his students, not that he was a gifted but eccentric teacher, or one who had a unique teaching style.

ps (later). Follow this link http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/, and enter 'deviant' in the search boxs. Just read the first couple of dozen citation - or more if you wish.
 
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Just as I thought.

I mean, I wouldn't use that word to describe unique teaching styles. I happened to see a Japanese use it that way, and I wondered if it was really a good word to describe someone as gifted but eccentric.

Thank you, 5jj!
 
'deviant' - pejorative, as 5jj has explained.
'deviate' - value-free, neither good nor bad
'deviation' - troublesome, if you're in a car ;-)

b
 
PS - Please note that "very unique" is redundant. "Unique" does not have gradations.
 
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Are you sure?

As Barb pointed out, 'unique' does not have gradations, so I don't think either that 'more unique' and 'most unique' sound right.

But I wonder if 'very unique' is really poor English.

What about 'totally/quite/absolutely unique'? Do they also sound poor?
 
'Very unique' is still redundant, however many examples you find.
 
Taka said:
Are you sure?

As Barb pointed out, 'unique' does not have gradations, so I don't think either that 'more unique' and 'most unique' sound right.

But I wonder if 'very unique' is really poor English.

What about 'totally/quite/absolutely unique'? Do they also sound poor?
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Totally or absolutely unique are, to me, somewhat more acceptable as you are stressing the fact that the thing/person/etc is unique. As "unique" means "one of a kind", it's really not possible to be very/quite/rather/a bit/sort of/etc unique. The thing is either one of a kind or it's not. Something is either unique or it's not.
 
It's a serious pet peeve of mine. My kids look at me whenever anyone says it to see if I've flinched. I once refused to help someone write an article because they insisted on using "a very unique opportunity." I tried three times to get them to use another expression and finally told them to get someone else to write it.

It's sadly common, but wrong.
 
emsr2d2 said:
it's really not possible to be very/quite/rather/a bit/sort of/etc unique.
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Man, the dictionary I have says "use quite/really/absolutely/totally when you modify the word 'unique'."


And it goes on to say "'very/enough/rather/almost' is often used as a modifier when 'unique' means 'unusual'."


…oh, wait. And it says "...but not a few people accept that usage."


Wow.


Barb_D said:
It's a serious pet peeve of mine. My kids look at me whenever anyone says it to see if I've flinched. I once refused to help someone write an article because they insisted on using "a very unique opportunity." I tried three times to get them to use another expression and finally told them to get someone else to write it.
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I've found that it was used in CNN/ABC/NBC/FOX News. You may be too busy flinching in daily life.:)

Sadly common, but wrong...hmm...
 
And for you information, this is form American Heritage Dictionary:

For many grammarians, unique is the paradigmatic absolute term, a shibboleth that distinguishes between those who understand that such a term cannot be modified by an adverb of degree or a comparative adverb and those who do not. These grammarians would say that a thing is either unique or not unique and that it is therefore incorrect to say that something is very unique or more unique than something else. Most of the Usage Panel supports this traditional view. Eighty percent disapprove of the sentence Her designs are quite unique in today's fashions. But as the language of advertising in particular attests, unique is widely used as a synonym for worthy of being considered in a class by itself, extraordinary and if so construed it may arguably be modified. In fact, unique appears as a modified adjective in the work of many reputable writers. A travel writer states that"Chicago is no less unique an American city than New York or San Francisco," for example, and the critic Fredric Jameson writes "The great modern writers have all been defined by the invention or production of rather unique styles." Although these examples of the qualification of unique are defensible, writers should be aware that such constructions are liable to incur the censure of some readers.
 
Taka said:
And for you information, this is form American Heritage Dictionary:

For many grammarians, unique is the paradigmatic absolute term, a shibboleth that distinguishes between those who understand that such a term cannot be modified by an adverb of degree or a comparative adverb and those who do not. These grammarians would say that a thing is either unique or not unique and that it is therefore incorrect to say that something is very unique or more unique than something else. Most of the Usage Panel supports this traditional view. Eighty percent disapprove of the sentence Her designs are quite unique in today's fashions. But as the language of advertising in particular attests, unique is widely used as a synonym for worthy of being considered in a class by itself, extraordinary and if so construed it may arguably be modified. In fact, unique appears as a modified adjective in the work of many reputable writers. A travel writer states that"Chicago is no less unique an American city than New York or San Francisco," for example, and the critic Fredric Jameson writes "The great modern writers have all been defined by the invention or production of rather unique styles." Although these examples of the qualification of unique are defensible, writers should be aware that such constructions are liable to incur the censure of some readers.
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Taka, if you want to use "very/extremely/etcetera unique", go ahead. It's still wrong.
 
Taka said:
Man, the dictionary I have says "use quite/really/absolutely/totally when you modify the word 'unique'."
....
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:up: - unarguably. But 'quite' - as the context suggests - in the meaning 'really/absolutely/totally'. 'Quite' has different meanings in 'quite interesting' [=fairly] and 'quite appalling' [=absolutely].

b

PS In fact, it occurs to me that this ambivalent 'quite' may have been the Trojan Horse that led some of the AHD Usage Panel to accept 'quite unique'; 'Her designs are quite unique ' is acceptable by the most stringent of standards if 'quite' is understood as meaning 'totally'.
 
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