I haven’t blogged for a while, and if you have been waiting for something pithy and witty (which I doubt), you will probably be disappointed, most people will find this little blog boring. Nevertheless, I press on.
A few days ago a friend of mind put this on her Facebook page:
impeccable - what a fabulous word!
That got me thinking, not about the word impeccable, but about the word peccable. I, and probably most other people, know what impeccable means; here are some of its synonyms, according Collins dictionary:
= faultless, perfect, pure, exact, precise, exquisite, stainless, immaculate, flawless, squeaky-clean, unerring, unblemished, unimpeachable, irreproachable, sinless, incorrupt, blameless, above suspicion.
Collins also adds that it is rarely used to mean: incapable of sinning. The Oxford dictionary says it is rarely used to mean: not liable to sin.
But when we come to Peccable the two dictionaries seem to differ. Because the Collins dictionary says it means: liable to sin; susceptible to temptation. Oxford dictionary says it means: capable of sinning.
I’m confused now because I see being capable of doing something and being liable to do something as two different things; just because I am capable of doing something doesn’t mean I am liable, or likely to do it.
I am not going to go into to what Sin means, you can look it up.
Am I capable of sinning? Yes!
Am I liable to sin? Probably.
Am I peccable? Yes; or am I?
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