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Two nouns of stagnant

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souroin  #85031  Wed, 30 Mar 05 06:46 AM
Hello everyone,

I tried the web to find differences (imagining quite vague and subtle) lying between two nouns of stagnant - stagnation and stagnancy. No clear answers were immediately found. It's always a question of this kind of siblings deriving from the same words and carrying so-to-speak virtually the same meaning. If there isn't a difference, is it just because of a preference coming from coordination for smoother verbal delivery or adjective favouritism or something else?

Thanks,
Souroin,
  
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CalifJim  #85287  Thu, 31 Mar 05 05:53 AM
"stagnancy" seems more literal and at the same time more static to me. It's the state of standing water.
"stagnation" seems more figurative and process-oriented. It's the act or process of becoming stagnant, although it could also be simply the state. It doesn't seem to me that it has to be related to liquid at all. It could be any process that lacks forward drive or dynamism.

Those are my personal impressions!
  
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"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche
souroin  #85304  Thu, 31 Mar 05 07:59 AM
Hi CJ

I didn't expect you would post an answer in this forum, but am really glad that actually you came in to answer this as I've known you for giving quite concise and precise answers (to me at least!) I didn't post to the other forum as it relates to grammars.

When I find this pattern of similar noun deriving from a single verb or adjective etc., i.e. -cy and -tion I will apply the sense you suggested and think about the context - esp. '-tion' ones, figurative and process-oriented. Highly likely that that would sound quite right. I think what the natives have as their own intuitive perception are quite valuable opinions.

Thanks again as always, Jim. I may wait to see if there will be another, though, as you noted as personal impression.

Have a nice day.
Best regards,
Souroin,
  
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