Jul 20, 2023 17:37
10 mos ago
33 viewers *
English term

any thing or person upon which we depend vitally

English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dear colleagues,
The passage below is taken from the book The Gift of Presence. A mindfulness guide for women.
I’m not sure about the meaning of “any thing or person upon which we depend vitally,” referred to the word "pivot" and to the metaphor of basketball.
Do you think it might be rephrased as “any thing or person of vital importance for us”? Because it seems to me that “from which our life depends” would be too strong, if referred to basketball.
What’s your opinion?
Thank you so much for all your valuable hints!

****************

Pivoting has origins in Old French and dates back to 1605 – 1615. The noun pivot means *** “any thing or person upon which we depend vitally,” *** as in a rock or an anchor. The anchor is a key feature of Pivoting, just as in basketball when we keep one foot anchored while passing the ball, and the person we are depending upon is ourselves. We’re all likely familiar with the day-to-day Pivoting that allows us to meet the ever-evolving demands of our work, family, and friends.... There’s also “crisis Pivoting” that’s required when emergencies arise and demand our full, immediate attention – such as a serious illness, unexpected loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. When these life events occur, we drop everything to deal with them.
Change log

Jul 20, 2023 17:45: philgoddard changed "Field" from "Social Sciences" to "Other" , "Field (write-in)" from "pivot" to "(none)"

Discussion

Björn Vrooman Jul 22, 2023:
Phil There's a reason why the author put quotation marks around the phrase. As far as I can tell, he's using the definition given by Collins:
"pivot
in American English
(ˈpɪvət)
NOUN
1. a pin, point, or short shaft on the end of which something rests and turns, or upon and about which something rotates or oscillates
2. the end of a shaft or arbor, resting and turning in a bearing
3. any thing or person on which something or someone functions or depends vitally
He is the pivot of my life
4. the person in a line, as of troops on parade, whom the others use as a point about which to wheel or maneuver..."
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pivot
philgoddard Jul 20, 2023:
The whole book is sloppy writing. 'Any thing or person' is fine, but 'depend vitally' isn't easy to understand.
Tony M Jul 20, 2023:
@ Mark I don't think it's "sloppy writing" at all — just a misguided attempt to render an archaic definition in semi-modern EN.
Mark Robertson Jul 20, 2023:
@All Such sloppy writing. Anything or anyone NOT any thing or any person. FGS!
haribert (asker) Jul 20, 2023:
Dear Ice Scream, a sincere thank you! Please post an answer, so that I can give you points. I know it's not so important, but I would be very pleased...: you've helped me a lot along this intricate journey!!
Christopher Schröder Jul 20, 2023:
Yes it is as you suggest. I can’t think what else it could mean.

Responses

+1
1 hr
Selected

pivot = hub, central or fixed point or person

pivot is a fixed central point or most important/central person UPON WHICH OR WHOM WE CAN RELY


see these definitions as they should help you in the context you have

Clearly a basketball player is pivoting on 1 foot, so his/her foot is the central point, hub or ANCHOR

In your context it's suggested you yourself are the hub "the person we are depending upon is ourselves"

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pivot

hub, central /fixed point supporting something that turns or balances

the central or most important person or thing in a situation:


https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pivot

in business it has a similar meaning and is frequently used where people use the position they are in to PIVOT to a different role

https://fi.co/insight/what-pivoting-is-when-to-pivot-and-how...

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Note added at 3 days 22 hrs (2023-07-24 16:06:31 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to have helped.

Your line:

“any thing or person upon which we depend vitally,” in this context does not necessarily mean essential to our lives

Vitally just means extremely/very something important, like an anchor/pivot we can rely on

Note from asker:
Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your help!
Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your further explanation! Have a nice evening!
Peer comment(s):

neutral philgoddard : As I understand it, the question is not about "pivot".
2 hrs
It is, asker rephrased definition of word "pivot" for the headline term and asked if it's OK
agree Björn Vrooman : Clearly what the asker wanted to know. As for haribert's follow-up Q, I defer to you, but I think any link to "life" is from days long past: https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=vitally Not sure I'd keep the baseball reference, though.
1 day 17 hrs
Thanks for reading the question (and Ans)! The baseball thing is exanple of a pivot/anchor used by author so can't really be discarded fully though could be localised. Yes, "vital to life" is overtranslation IMHO
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your precious help! Many thanks also to all other colleagues!"
-1
15 hrs

any thing or person upon which we depend to be alive

Hi, I think they refer literally to something that saves our life.
This definition refers to the ancient meaning of "pivot", not to the actual meaning nor to the metaphor of basketball. It has evolved through centuries --that's how etymology works.
Note from asker:
Hi, Susana, thank you for your contribution! Actually I find it difficult to find a general expression suitable for a rock or anchor and for basketball, so maybe I'll leave it a bit more general, writing something along the lines "of vital importance"... so I'll maintain the reference, although in an indirect way, to survival...
Peer comment(s):

disagree AllegroTrans : "vitally" means "essentially", but "to be alive" is taking the expression too far
3 hrs
It also means "necessary or essential to life" (Collins); they mention a rock too...
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