English

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Etymology

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Back-formation from inferior by reanalysis as in- + ferior.

Adjective

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ferior (comparative more ferior, superlative most ferior)

  1. (nonstandard, rare) Not inferior, superior.
    • 1997 June 4, “To Terry (Was Re: Left Behind)”, in alt.abuse.recovery[1] (Usenet):
      - just that I was
      >somehow rather inferior.
      It's sad that we have had to endure false lessons such as these, Terry. :(
      You are VERY ferior in MY book!
      Superior, too. :) As in a class act, a decent person, a warmly caring person.
    • 1994 June 21, “The dreamlike quality of periodicity.”, in talk.bizarre[2] (Usenet):
      The arbitrary leaders pick their teams from the ranks of the ferior and inferior, usually in descending order.
    • 1998 April 17, “Designing around?”, in misc.int-property[3] (Usenet):
      I have conceived of a novelty visual item that is produced by a ferior non-obvious mechanization.My question is,if I have also conceived of a number of inferior mechs that produce the same visual effects albeit mech inferior,do I need to submit inferior mechs in order to receieve[sic] broad patent protection?
    • 2001 August 21, “****”, in alt.usage.english[4] (Usenet):
      As far as inferior construction....that's a debatable point. Many are inferior and many of the better ones have inferior aspects. Many are placed in less than ferior (sic) locations. However, it's all some people want, can afford, or can qualify to rent or buy.
    • 2003 January 25, “The Genocidal Rise of Communism Continues”, in soc.culture.israel[5] (Usenet):
      They are vastly conceited individuals whom view themselves as especially intellectually and morally ferior to everyone whom does not embrace their particuliar utopianism.
    • 2003 June 11, “Kodak has discontinued R-3000 chemicals..”, in rec.photo.darkroom[6] (Usenet):
      Resolve yourself like most of the known world to living with slightly less than ferior inkjet/ lambda or 1/2 a dozen other types of cloned digital outputs.
    • 2009 November 9, “Is this true do you reckon?”, in ie.general[7] (Usenet):
      > Doe that mean you are going to stop whining about Ireland and how more or
      > less everything is inferior to England?
      >
      naw shouldnt think so :-)
      I will stop whining when things get ferior to England.
    • 2011 November 10, demon.local[8] (Usenet):
      >> Why do razor blades go blunt after two uses, yet scissors last for decades?
      >
      > Inferior metal(s).
      Then why does no razor company use ferior metals?

Anagrams

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Latin

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Etymology 1

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From fēriae. Rare use for the classical fēriās habeō.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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fērior (present infinitive fēriārī, perfect active fēriātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

  1. to rest from work, to keep holiday
Conjugation
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Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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ferior

  1. first-person singular present passive indicative of feriō

References

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  • ferior”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • ferior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
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Note 1