Isn't "transitive" the wrong word?

[Jesse Phillips]

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:57:43 +0100, Janice Caron wrote:

> On 04/04/2008, Jesse Phillips <jessekphillips at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Except when you look at the definition of transitive in the dictionary,
>>  "having or containing an object required to complete the meaning."
>>  Thus if we have a transitive const then all things inside it must also
>>  be const.
> 
> What dictionary are you reading? It doesn't say that in Chambers or
> Merriam-Websters.
> 
> M-W says
>   1  : characterized by having or containing a direct object <a
> transitive verb> <a transitive construction>
>    2  : being or relating to a relation with the property that if the
> relation holds between a first element and a second and between the
> second element and a third, it holds between the first and third
> elements <equality is a transitive relation>
>    3  : of, relating to, or characterized by transition
> 
> 
>> I see no reason to make changes.
> 
> Given that transitive isn't a keyword, there are no changes to make. (I
> was just being nitpicky.)
> 
> That said, I do suspect that using odd words in discussion or articles
> or whatever doesn't help lessen confusion.

Well, I got it out of my Merriam-Websters and I don't think anyone is 
really mixing up the meaning of transitive with respect to D. But anyway 
it seams to have brought out a good idea, and I'm interested to see 
Walters input on it.