Conversely, the use of nauseous to indicate the cause of nausea is rapidly falling into disuse in spoken conversation (and when it is used, it is sometimes confused with noxious), whereas it maintains only a rapidly diminishing tenuous lead over nauseating in text.Īccordingly, JAMA and the Archives Journals very seldom use nauseous in the causative sense and not at all in the subjective sense (unless part of quoted material) nauseating is used for the former and nauseated for the latter, at least until the dust has settled on another generation or two of language evolution. Whereas the use of nauseous in the subjective sense when speaking now seems a given, nauseated is still holding its own in text. So how does all of this pan out for the person seeking guidance on the use of nauseous, nauseated, and nauseating? As is often the case, an answer-very seldom is there such a thing as the answer-lies in the ever-shifting borders between the spoken and the written word. Other related terms from the 17th century- nauseation, nauseative, nauseity, nausity-are now obsolete or used very rarely, but for now nauseous as used to describe the subjective state of nausea seems here to stay. For example, when comedian Mike Myers’ Saturday Night Live character, Linda Richman, claimed that something “makes me nauseous” (always pronounced as two syllables, with the slightest of pauses when pronouncing the first: “naaw′ shus”), the use of the term in that sense gathered steam in short order, gaining an ever-widening circulation as viewers of the program used it in conversation and e-mails it likely now lives a healthy and happy life in the various social networking media. The term has regained its original meaning in a few generations, a resurrection only accelerated by today’s fast-paced media mix. Nauseous, then, when used to describe the feeling of nausea, is something of a grammatical atavism, a throwback to an earlier usage that seems to have fallen into disfavor in the intervening centuries. At some point, the rule was set forth dictating that nauseous should be used to indicate causing nausea and nauseated to indicate the subjective feeling of nausea-a rule that for the most part held sway until the mid-20th century, when nauseous once again began to be used by persons describing how they feel. What is more, it was likely not used to mean “causing nausea” until 1612 or later. Despite the pronouncements of some prescriptive grammarians promoting the idea that nauseous, when used to mean “feeling the effects of nausea,” is yet another example of a weed newly sprung up in the garden of educated usage, it appears that the term was used in that sense as early as 1604. Debates on the merits of prescriptive vs descriptive use of these terms can be quite heated, and current dictionaries and usage guides often attempt to walk a line between the two camps-which, considering the potential for rancor, is probably not a bad idea, particularly taking into account the ever-evolving nature of language as well as the history of these terms. Similarly, while nauseous is still more often used to mean causing nausea, the use of nauseating in that causative sense will soon be more prevalent, if it is not already. Those with more descriptive leanings (those concerned with language as it is actually used, which includes professional linguists as well as armchair observers of language) are eager to point out that while nauseated is still more often used to mean feeling the effects of nausea, the use of nauseous in that subjective sense is rapidly gaining acceptance. Grammarians with more prescriptive leanings (ie, those concerned with language as it “should” be used, which presumably would include most writers and editors) would say that a person feels nauseated and that which has made him or her feel that way is nauseous. Or is it nauseous? And what of that stress, that coffee, that ill-chosen meal replacement-are its effects nauseating or nauseous? The effects of stress, a few too many cups of coffee, and perhaps a candy bar or bag of chips in place of a meal can conspire to make the most steely-nerved wordsmith feel a tad nauseated. Psychological factors can also contribute to nausea and fatigue.Writers and editors rushing to meet deadlines know the feeling. too much physical activity or a lack of physical activity.taking medications, such as amphetamines, to stay awake.Examples of lifestyle habits that can bring on fatigue and nausea include: Nausea and fatigue can result from many factors, ranging from physiological causes to lifestyle habits.
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