Literary notes about Depopulate (AI summary)
The term "depopulate" has been employed in varied literary contexts to capture both literal and metaphorical reductions in population. In historical and military narratives, as seen in Livy's account [1], it denotes an actual act of reducing the human presence in a territory through force. In contrast, the term takes on a whimsical tone in Jules Verne’s works [2] and [3], where it is used to describe the eradication of edible quadrupeds on an island—a play on the idea of depopulation applied to fauna rather than human communities. Furthermore, in the realm of socio-political discourse, as illustrated by Sir Ebenezer Howard [4], "depopulate" is proposed as a corrective measure to alleviate urban overcrowding, reflecting the word’s potential for metaphorical expansion beyond its original demographic scope.
- Kæso being sent thither with an army, passes into the very territory of the Æqui to depopulate it.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - Happy Ned proposed to return to this enchanting island the next day, for he wished to depopulate it of all the eatable quadrupeds.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne - A gleeful Ned proposed that we return the next day to this magic island, which he planned to depopulate of its every edible quadruped.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - One of the first things that they as Socialists would have to do would be to depopulate the vast centres of their over-crowded cities.
— from Garden Cities of To-Morrow by Sir Ebenezer Howard
