pending = during? or suspending?

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Libya’s Transitional National Council, the shaky interim government in Tripoli, had said initially that Colonel Qaddafi would be buried on Friday in accordance with Islamic law, which generally requires a burial within 24 hours, but that the location of the grave had not been determined, news agencies reported. But Ali Tarhouni, the minister who officially confirmed the death of Colonel Qaddafi to the council, said the burial would be delayed pending an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and a decision about the burial site. Officials did not give specifics about the timing or possible location.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/world/africa/libyan-leaders-appear-to-wrangle-over-qaddafi-burial.html?_r=1&hp

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Yes, pending sort of means during. It means while the specified actions are being carried out--in this specific case, while the investigation is carried out. Pend come from the French verb pendre which means to hang, or to hang down. So pending means that something hangs, is temporarily held in abeyance, while someting else is carried out. The ships were held in port pending the arrival of new drafts of men. The ships were kept waiting until new men were brought in to be trained as crew members.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

Yes, pending sort of means during. It means while the specified actions are being carried out--in this specific case, while the investigation is carried out. Pend come from the French verb pendre which means to hang, or to hang down. So pending means that something hangs, is temporarily held in abeyance, while someting else is carried out. The ships were held in port pending the arrival of new drafts of men. The ships were kept waiting until new men were brought in to be trained as crew members.

Thanks.

New draft = newbie?

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@oristarA,

No, new draft does not mean "newbie." When groups of men are taken (levied is the usual verb used) for military service, it is often called a draft (draught to the English). So, a new draft would be the most recent group of men levied for military service.

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@Setanta,

Got it.
Thanks.

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@oristarA,

pending = waiting upon, or dependent upon, another event or action.

patent pending (approval of the patent office)

sometimes used as an interim status which, as in the above case, indicates
a likely outcome. as in status: submitted, pending, rejected/approved

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pending = during? or suspending?

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