#0 · Feb 22, 2005, 07:01 · CptPicard

Is it a real word or not?  According to dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=observative
It's an adjective.  \Ob*serv"a*tive\, a. Observing; watchful.

But every person I speak to and even Microsoft's Word Dictionary doesn't recognise the word!  It seems plausible to me!

What do you think :?:

P.

#1 · Feb 22, 2005, 09:09 · Seven

as in "you're very observative"... yes, it's a real word.  The Microsoft dictionary doesn't list everything, also, some words are different depending on whether you live in the UK or US :)

#2 · Feb 22, 2005, 09:57 · CptPicard

Thanks seven for replying..... Are you 100% sure it's a real word!  because absolutely everyone I ask hasn't heard of it!

It's going to bring me much satisfaction to inform the person who thinks they know it all... that in actuality they don't!

thx mate :D

#3 · Feb 22, 2005, 10:41 · Frank

Hello:

I'd suggest it would be considered obscure usage. Wouldn't we say observant, not observative?

Yours,
Frank

#4 · Feb 22, 2005, 11:47 · CptPicard

Quote from: Frank Hello:

I'd suggest it would be considered obscure usage. Wouldn't we say observant, not observative?

Yours,
Frank
I agree an obscure usage and that 99.9 percent of the population would probably use the sentence "You're very observant!" but me being the .1 percent from mankind used the sentence "You're very observative" (Always enjoy being different)

Maybe saying observative was me being conservative?

Maybe it just sounds unusual to put into a sentence becuase it's not so commonly used.

Maybe I'm an idiot. :oops:

#5 · Feb 22, 2005, 14:55 · Frank

Captain:

I can appreciate you wanting to be different and I feel you are correct in your usage as a word . It is, however, somewhat obscure. But, then again, so are many other words, such as: antidisastablishmentarianism, or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Not that I have ever used the latter, but the former I have in the appropriate company.

Yours,
Frank

#6 · Feb 22, 2005, 17:30 · RTCovenant

Hmm. Just a warning though, you may sound like a redneck if you say observative. I would say observant just to be save.

#7 · Feb 23, 2005, 04:37 · CptPicard

Now did you get your dictionary out to spell those words :wink:
I've never even heard of "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" try pronouncing it!

And yes isn't life interesting the way we learn to adapt our speach and usage of words depending on whom we're speaking to.
If I'm talking to my wife then I just talk about Eastenders and she's happy! (Even though I don't watch it :wink: )
But talking to spiritually minded people I change my methods slightly... It's a constant game of telling people what they want to hear.
I must have a thousand personalities, one for every person I know... maybe I should just be me.

P.

#8 · Feb 23, 2005, 04:39 · beavis

All prefixes and suffixes can go on any root word. Special cases are lunacy! We know the meaning of both parts, and that is what a word is, a group of letters people know the meaning of. I refuse to obey the word authoritys.

#9 · Feb 23, 2005, 05:33 · CptPicard

Quote from: beavis All prefixes and suffixes can go on any root word. Special cases are lunacy! We know the meaning of both parts, and that is what a word is, a group of letters people know the meaning of. I refuse to obey the word authoritys.
I have to agree............

#10 · Feb 23, 2005, 08:40 · Seven

I'm afraid I'm going to have to take back what I said... I just checked in my dictionaries (I have a new Collins dictionary and a very old Oxford dictionary) and... erm... it's not there! :roll:

But it's used quite a bit by people I know, so maybe it's slang?  Maybe it'll appear in the next edition lol!

I have to agree with Beavis too :)