When to use Precipitated and Perspired?

Hello everyone,

I've come across another literary hurdle. I'm confused when to use 'precipitated' and 'perspired' in context of an event. I ran some internet searches but couldn't find descent examples. When is one more superior over the other, or fundamentally correct? Once again, thanks WritingForum members!

-Spine Cleaver

Added comments below:

A friend who I have in history was able to give me some good examples:

"The skirmishes at Springfield precipitated the full scale incursion by the Virginian militia"

"After what perspired on Colony B5-19, the Colonial High Command was terrified of the oncoming alien onslaught."

I'm still unsure of how to implement and these words in my writings. I find at times they could come in handy. Any literary geniuses out there who can help me out!?

 

Precipitated has the prefix 'pre' and in the case of describing an event, will be the antecedent or the triggering event. As far as perspired goes, it means to excrete through the pores. Do you mean 'transpired?' I am unaware of any other definition of 'to perspire' than the above. If there is an acceptable usage of perspired in the context that you are describing, maybe someone else on the forum can let us both know.

 

I have never seen or heard the word perspire used as a synonym of occurred or happened.

Are you sure that you don't mean transpired?

 

I’m sure they were terrified. Have you any idea how much it costs to buy a good quality deodorant?

 

Yes, to perspire is to exude sweat, to transpire is to occur or take place (ignoring other meanings of tranpire outside your context entirely).

Events that transpire do not have a specific cause declared by that sentence. But to precipitate an event means to identify a cause, or a triggering incident.

Precipitated is used to indicate that the Rodney King incident caused the angry reaction by the public in the form or protests and riots.

Transpired simply indicates several events are unknown, without trying to identify what cause or causes may have brought about the unknown events.

 

And so it transpired that Spine.Cleaver was mistaken in his use of perspired ...

An error which precipitated several posts correcting him.

 

Correctamundo.

 

Thanks everyone! Transpired and not perspired...got ya!

-Spine Cleaver

 

not really... as a verb, it means to actually 'cause' it... not to 'identify' anything...

of course, it also means to 'rain'... ;-)

 

What I meant by that was that the causing event is identified in the sentence when you use precipitated. But you stated it more clearly.

 

Those covenant really like to sweat, eh moose?

 

This sentence wouldn't look out of place in a Douglas Adams novel.