======= Date Modified 19 Jul 2009 13:12:38 =======
That isn't want Bug said, as far as I grap it. Bug was saying that 'complicated' has a negative connotation:



''That set aside, I think, when you use it as a *verb* to say (A) "he is complicating the topic", and (B) "he is complexifying the topic", the difference may perhaps be negligible, unless you mean that in the case of (A) it is a largely negative connotation, i.e he is just making things look difficult and in the case of (B) he is adding layers of sophisticated arguments to explain how things are not as simple as they look.''



I cannot understand how 'complexification' is more 'complex' than 'complicated', when 'complicate' means 'to make complex'.

It also seems to me that most of the people defending the word on this thread have completely different opinions about why or how it should actually be used.

PS. I woudn't worry too much Sleepyhead, I'm sure I'll be just fine
;-)

@Rosy: Thanks much!

@Sleepyhead: Yes, that's what I tried to say

@KeepCalm: Researchers are bound to disagree over semantics, so in all, a productive thread :-)

Lol yes, a productive thread. I have a gnawing feeling that the author of the book would actually be thrilled to see this discussion...damn!

Sorry, had to come back and write a slightly more detailed response to Rosy. Rosy, notice earlier in the thread how I lightened up and called it 'academese'? After reading the disucssions that followed our early chit-chat, I was merely inspired to think on it a bit more. So all I really did was that I added to my 'light' mode earlier with a slightly thought out post, that's all. It still says 'academese' and I still stand by what I said later. In no way does it mean I have lost my sense of humour. We can retain our lightness even when we plough through our thesis chapters on dead people's theories!

I merely thought we could agree/disagree here...

I think there is a major over-reliance here on the definition of 'to complicate' as 'to make more complex'. It could equally state 'to make more problematic' or 'to make more difficult'... would you then argue that there is no difference between 'complication', 'difficulty' and 'problem'? No, because cultural and social uses make certain words more appropriate at different times - why some people say 'toilet' others 'lavatory' and others 'bathroom'/'restroom'. They are synonyms but not entirely interchangeable.

That said, complex is different to complicated; as complexification is different to complication. If you removed the very simplistic definition of of 'to make more complex' it might become clearer

Yes we can agree/disagree, of course! I just thought it was unusual to see such a long and well thought-out discussion first thing on a Sunday morning - my brain is not normally in full working order by that time :-)

Anyway I think we can all agree that this thread has become quite complicated following a lengthy process of complexification ;-)

Sleepyhead is getting dangerously close to the win here :-(

8-)

Complexification and complication are two different words, with two different, albeit overlapping, meanings.

...but I agree with Rosy, some of you need to lighten up a little ! :-)

Having looked up the words complex and complicated in my Oxford English Dictionary I found the following:

complex: 1. Consisting of many different and connected parts. 2. not easy to understand: complicated or intricate.

complicated: 1. Consisting of many different parts or elements; intricate. >involving many different and confusing aspects. 2. Medicine involving complications.

So the difference is that complex indicates a connectedness between the complication of many different parts.

Niether 'complex' nor 'complicated' describe a process; although complexification and complication do.

So the literary critic must have been indicating some connection between the complicated parts to which he/she was discussing - using the word complication would have neglected that dimension.

Complexification is a new word which found its way out of mathematics, and into broader academic use, according to the quick internet search I've just made.

This thread made me laugh out loud! Only a bunch of PhD students would have this discussion on a Sunday in July - now I'll get back to reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves - so glad I'm not alone in my interest in precision (although some, philistines, might call it pedantry!!!).