Beleriphon
Totally Awesome Pirate Brain
Morrus, I think there's a distinct lack of language definition here. I live in Canada and I don't think either of the definitions are actually accurate.
Dire by definition means terrible, horrible, in a dangerous context.
It is not that something is a poor example of whatever noun dire is be used as an adjective with. Applying that to a wolf doesn't mean a that a dire wolf is a particular poor example of wolfiness, it means it is a terrible, horrible, dreadful wolf.
It is used in the same context as catclysmic, extreme, or catastrophic. Dreadful is another good one, but in the way Terry Pratchett might have used it; full of dread, not mundanely bad.
To quote the man himself in regards to elves:
Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.
Dire by definition means terrible, horrible, in a dangerous context.
It is not that something is a poor example of whatever noun dire is be used as an adjective with. Applying that to a wolf doesn't mean a that a dire wolf is a particular poor example of wolfiness, it means it is a terrible, horrible, dreadful wolf.
It is used in the same context as catclysmic, extreme, or catastrophic. Dreadful is another good one, but in the way Terry Pratchett might have used it; full of dread, not mundanely bad.
To quote the man himself in regards to elves:
Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.