Subject: [Tweeters] RE: extirpated, displaced or extinct?
Date: Jun 7 18:40:53 2005
From: Mary Ann Chapman - machapman at the-mkt-edge.com


Yes, I love the language, ornery as it can sometimes be.

If you go the old-fashioned route and pull down an actual dictionary - in
my case the latest Webster's Collegiate - you find that the verb
"extirpate" can take on all the usual endings ... extirpating, extirpated,
extirpation, and extirpator. It also shows the following meanings ... 1a:
to destroy completely: wipe out ... 1b: to pull up by the root ... 2: to
cut out by surgery, "syn see exterminate". None of these meanings seem to
me to imply total extinction. It sounds rather like "extirpating
dandelions from one's front yard" would be a perfectly fine use of the
word, as would extirpating just one particularly annoying one. Therefore
extirpation of a species from a region would also seem to be proper usage.

Now, moving on ...

Mary Ann Chapman
Seattle

At 10:41 AM 6/7/2005, Brett Wolfe wrote:
>I agree Mary Ann, this is how the terms have been used before in my
>experience as well, but I don't know that that means the useages were
>correct. In Pennsylvania, when I was living there last year, a number of
>plant species were listed as locally extirpated, but could be found
>elsewhere (say, parts of NJ, NY or DE), so weren't extinct. Just gone from PA.
>
>And I just went to <http://www.thesaurus.com>www.thesaurus.com and they do
>not list the word 'extirpated', only 'extirpate'. And although extinct and
>extirpate can have similar synonyms, they are not listed as synonyms for
>each other. They also list extirpate as a verb meaning "destroy" and
>extinct as an adjective meaning "dead". And Joe's contention (see below)
>for displacement is valid, as it is a verb meaning "moved" or "deposed".
>
>So, I hope this clears up any confusion brought on when Joe tried to clear
>things up before. But that is not a slam on you Joe, as I appreciate the
>differing view that made me look up the two words online. So, IMHO, one
>can locally extirpate a species without making them extinct, but calling
>them 'displaced' may be equally valid, depending on the species in
>question. Clear as mud now? God I love the English language - makes things
>soo easy! LOL
>
>Brett A. Wolfe
>Seattle, WA (in San Joaquin Valley for summer 2005)
><mailto:m_lincolnii at yahoo.com>m_lincolnii at yahoo.com
>
>
>Mary Ann Chapman <machapman at the-mkt-edge.com> wrote:
>Joe --
>
>For my thirty years of birding, I have always heard "extirpated" used to
>mean a species no longer occurred in a specified region (perhaps had been
>totally driven out?) as opposed to "extinct". Regional species lists
>frequently list species that are alive and kicking somewhere else but are
>"extirpated" in that region. I have always heard the Passenger Pigeon
>described as "extinct", never as "extirpated".
>
>Mary Ann Chapman
>Seattle
>
>At 06:58 PM 6/6/2005, Joemeche at aol.com wrote:
>>All,
>>
>>Someone has to step forward and put this thread into proper perspective.
>>OK, I'll do it!
>>"Extirpation" means total loss or destruction or extermination; e.g., the
>>extirpation of the Passenger Pigeon.
>>This discussion is more about species that have been displaced from parts
>>of their historical ranges for one reason or other and the possibility of
>>reintroduction. If the birds you're talking about have been "extirpated,"
>>we're not having this discussion. We cannot reintroduce that which has
>>been extirpated, unfortunately.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>Joe Meche
>>Bellingham, WA
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>
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