One of my (many) pet peeves is the use of "live" to refer to inanimate objects. For example, someone was describing geology and said 'this rock lives in such and such a formation'. Obviously, he meant it is found there since the rock cannot 'live' in the same way an animal would. Am I being to technical? I can't find a dictionary definition that would make that use acceptable.

The OED has "fig. Chiefly poet. Of a thing: to exist, be found" with citations from Old English to 1996. The quote from Beowulf refers to treasure living underground.

The OED2 (online for subscribers) has the following

quote:

1b. fig. Chiefly poet. Of a thing: to exist, be found.

Citations begin with King Alfred's translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care and includes no small amount of Shakespeare.

My favorite is a late 19th century translation of a poem by Catullus: "1871 R. ELLIS tr. Catullus Poems lxxxvi. 4 In all that bodily largeness, Lives not a grain of salt, breathes not a charm anywhere." It's in Google Books (link). It's not in the original Latin: nulla in tam magno est corpore mica salis.

[goofy got there first.]

There's also 6e. Of things: to continue to exist or operate; to survive, endure.

Sure, go to the OED. All I have is the Rhode Island Community College Words As They Is Spoke Dictionary Calendar for 1982, which lives in a drawer.

There is also "live rock". Wikipedia also has this page on living rock. A link from there leads to Rock cut architecture. This book seems to use the phrase as a synonym for metals.

An odd phrase, I agree; either rock has never been alive or it's formed from billions of tiny organisms that died æons ago.

A sidetrack, but what about the term, "animation?" We ascribe life to things that move, or seem to move. Originally, from Latin anima,, soul or spirit, do we suspend disbelief enough to really think of animation - as in cartoons - as having a life force?

animation

A good parallel, Geoff. The verb animate started being applied to non-living things in the 17th century. The OED2 (online) has "7. To actuate, move, or put in motion (a thing)." Citation (1646): "That extreme which is next the earth is animated unto the North, and the contrary unto the South." The context of the quotation is a discussion of magnetizing a needle to point north; Sir Thomas Browne Pseudodoxia epidemica: or, Enquiries into very many received tenents, and commonly presumed truths (link). The first citation for animated as in pictures refers to early cinematography in 1895: "The handle is turned..so as to move the series of photographs rapidly past the eyes, and give the impression of a single animated portrait".

Page 76 almost seems to presage Darwin. I did narrow my example too much; any motion picture tricks the mind into perceiving motion.

This was an interesting post to me for another reason. Our Chicago Tribune changed the name of one of their sections from Tempo to Live! Neither Shu or I know how it is supposed to be pronounced, with the short or long "i." Context-wise we both agree that it could be either. I suppose we could call.

The Oregonian switched from "Living" to "How We Live" about two years ago. Maybe more accurate, but it seems unnecessary.