Litigious. This word has changed from an objective to a subjective sense. Things were ‘litigious’ once, which offered matter for going to law; persons are ‘litigious’ now, who are prone to going to law. Both meanings are to be found in the Latin ‘litigiosus,’ though predominantly that which we have now made the sole meaning.
Dolopia he hath subdued by force of arms, and could not abide to hear that the determination of certain provinces, which were debatable and litigious, should be referred to the award of the people of Rome.—Holland, Livy, p. 1111.
Of the articles gainsaid by a great outcry, three and no more did seem to be litigious.—Hacket, Life of Archbishop Williams, part i. p. 140.
No fences parted fields, nor marks nor bounds
Distinguished acres of litigious grounds.
Dryden, Virgil’s Georgics, b. i. 193, 4.
Lively. This had once nearly, if not altogether, the same meaning as ‘living.’ We have here the explanation of a circumstance which many probably have noted and regretted in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, namely that while λίθον ζῶντα at 1 Pet. ii. 4 is ‘a living stone,’ λίθοι ζῶντες, which follows immediately, ver. 5, is only ‘lively stones,’ ‘living’ being thus brought down to ‘lively’ with no correspondent reduction in the original to warrant it. But when our Version was made, there was scarcely any distinction between the forces of the words. Still it would certainly have been better to adhere to one word or the other.
Mine enemies are lively (Heb. living), and they are strong.—Ps. xxxviii. 19. (A.V.)
Was it well done to suffer him, imprisoned in chains, lying in a dark dungeon, to draw his lively breath at the pleasure of the hangman?—Holland, Livy, p. 228.
Had I but seen thy picture in this plight,