630: decadence, decay, and chance Aug 29, 2016

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Although the American 1920's were an era of decadence, 'decadence' has nothing to do with time. The word comes from the participle of the Latin, 'decadere', meaning 'to fall', first used in English in the 1530's. Emerging at the same time, and from the same Latin root, 'decay', was used, though it 'decadence' is not a derivative of it. Even older, the word 'chance' comes from 'cadere', also meaning 'to fall'.

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