grammaticality - Participation v Participancy


I'm really curious as to know when you'd use participancy over participation. Right now Chrome is telling me that participancy is wrong and not a word. I always believed it to be a word and it is in http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/participancy as a word. Would someone be able to help clarify the difference between to two and some usages. Apologies if this is an obvious question, first post here.


Just to update you. I am a native uk english speaker. Thanks for your answers so far



Answer



Unless you're a native speaker and you know why you want to use the relatively uncommon participancy, just don't. But personally I think it's the preferred option in OED's final example under the definition...



participancy n. the fact or quality of participating in something.


1988 Science New Ser. 28 Oct. 604/1 The universe starts small.., grows.., and in time gives rise..to observer-participancy — which in turn determines all we have the right to say about even the earliest days of the universe.



The reason I prefer it there is because the reference is to all "participations" collectively, by any and all participants who meet the implicit criterion of being [sentient] observers. The context isn't about any particular participation - rather it's about manifestation of an ability to participate.



A similar distinction arises with occupation, occupancy (in respect of living in a property, for example). In that case both words are relatively common, but the latter often has a more "general" sense, and may thus be more suitable in certain contexts.


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