EgyptWand-MoreWonderful-Snitch-SocialDE-1/2Human-Myopia-OWLs-Bilius-Cliod-etc

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 77651

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" 
<catlady at w...> wrote:
> Hans from Holland wrote in 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/76732 :
> 
> 
> Kneasy wrote in 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/76737 :
> 
> << there is no reason to consider death wonderful. >>
> 
> "Wonderful" means it fills people with wonder. Just as 'terrible' 
> means it fills people with terror and 'awful' means it fills people 
> with awe. (The word 'awful' having drifted in meaning, 'awesome' was 
> a fair substitute until the Valley-girl slang destroyed it.) Death 
> indeed does cause people to wonder.
> 

I love a nit-picker! Gives me a chance to return the favour plus add 
some sophistry of my own.

According to the OED
Wonder *can* mean thought or speculation or curiosity. It has the 
original meaning of great surprise or astonishment, of something 
impressively unusual - The Seven Wonders of the World, for example. 

Wonderful has only one context:-
Wonder or astonishment, marvellous, very remarkable or admirable, 
extremely good, excellent.

No negative implications, you'll note.

I repeat, there is nothing wonderful about death. It may cause
speculation, curiosity or thoughtfulness, but it is not marvellous,
admirable or impressively unusual - there's one per person, after all.

Kneasy