Horatory

Question

I found this word (horatory)in one of the Aubrey-Maturin novels and noted it down to look up later. I can't find a definition at dictionary.com nor in any of my hard copy dictionaries. Is this word archaic or perhaps not English at all?
Thanks

Matt Hickman

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I found this word (horatory)in one of the Aubrey-Maturin novels and noted it down to look up later. I can't find a definition at dictionary.com nor in any of my hard copy dictionaries. Is this word archaic or perhaps not English at all?[/nq]
I have heard "hortatory" in business meetings, to not "horatory".

One speaker, in particular, used it a lot when urging that proposals to change the rules of the organisation be reworded to avoid the abomination of hortatory legislation.
It take the form of exhortation - exhorting people to do something or not do something, rather than simply prohibiting certain behaviour.

An example of hortatory legislation would be a law saying "Please don't steal, it isn't nice,"
What it should say is "Theft is an offence. Anyone convicted of the offence may be punished by up to two months imprisonment".

But it may be old fashioned. The organisation concerned, in debating legislation, frequently spoke of "agendum", which many might be considered old fashioned. The chairman would say things like: "We will take agendum 15 now, and agenda 14 and 16 after the tea break".

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Horatory

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