Bequest vs. bequeath

[jmc_bks]

I hate it when an author uses the wrong word.  A while back I read a suspense novel in which the author described exsanguination as the cause of death but kept calling it evisceration.  Both pentasyllabic words starting with the letter "e", both describing a fairly horrific and surely painful way to die.  But not the same thing.  And I don't think it was the author having the narrator make an error as part of her character.  The word was just used incorrectly.

Today's language pet peeve?  Specifically bequested.  Here's the thing:  "specific bequest" is a noun meaning that in a will, the testator left a particular item to a particular individual, specifying its disposition; it is distinct from the residuary or bulk disposition.  As in, I leave my collection of Barbie Dolls (TM) to my favorite niece, all other tangible personal property to be divided among my children, if they survive me, in as nearly equal shares as is practical given the nature of the property.

The verb for this?  Bequeath.  A specific bequest is not specifically bequested.  It is bequeathed specifically.

And that is all I have to say on the matter.

Okay, maybe it's just me being overly touchy because I've written many, many wills and trusts.  It just jumped off the page at me.   

Comments

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

Publishers are getting lazier and lazier, while charging US more and more for their poorly edited books. I just came across a their/there mixup, and another one I can't recall but I know it pissed me off, in the book I'm reading now.

[(Anonymous)]

Same thing only not the author's fault: I'm doing a lot of books on tape these days (exercise! yay!) and the readers, even the best of them, mispronounce words. It yanks me right out of the story.

The funniest thing was when Simon Brett, reading his own stuff said facetious wrong. Huh? He's an actor! He's smart! he should know it is NOT "fACE-shuss" Don't tell me that's the British way of saying it. They do Renaissance funky, okay. Schedule, sure. But it's fah CEE shuss. Dammit. Um, isn't it? Any brits around to confirm this?
kate r

Healthy recipes for weight loss

[(Anonymous)]

This page appears to get a good ammount of visitors. How do you advertise it? It offers a nice individual twist on things. I guess having something authentic or substantial to talk about is the most important thing.
My website is on [url=http://healthyrecipeforweightloss.blogspot.com]Weight loss recipes[/url].

Stock investment

[(Anonymous)]

When I open your RSS feed it puts up a whole lot of strange characters, is the deal on my end?
My website is on [url=http://goodstockstoinvestin.blogspot.com]Stock quote[/url]