'Assistive' - the word is a bit tricky...

[Tamara]

Hi

For me the word assistive is a bit tricky, even though sometimes I need to use it.

Here are the results of my quick online search:

On the one hand, many widely used (‘British’?) dictionaries give the main meaning of the word like this:

[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

To me the word is a new one. I would say that its use from my very brief examination of it would likely be used only in the specialist sense in which you have used it.

A
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[Jamie (K)]

I agree with Alan here. I've heard it only in describing devices to help disabled people, or else in describing personnel who assist the disabled or elderly. I hear it so seldom that it took me a while to realize that I even knew the word.

Tamara, are you trying to match some particular Russian word? If so, can you give it to me?

[Tamara]

Hi Alan and Jamie

Thank you for your help (assistance :) )

Yes... My feeling is that the word 'assistive' would sound strange in 'usual life' if used as an equivalent to 'helpful' or 'supportive' (as some dictionaries describe).

Jamie, not actually 'some particular Russian word', but rather 'Russian way of thinking'. :)
This my question was caused by my (not asked in reality…) question to my son’s friend (a sixth-form student, as well) who has just got a/the (?) (part-time) Sales Assistant position in a local store.
When I was talking with him and greeting him (the first job :)) I was tempted to ask him something like 'And what? How assistive were you during your first working day?' – just playing with the word 'assistant', impromptu - but didn’t ask the question.

And asked it here, instead :)
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[Conchita]

Maybe you could have used the word 'assisting' instead.

[Jamie (K)]

[Tamara]

Thanks, Jamie.

OK... As usual, my main problem (in the context of those risky language experiments :) ) is to find people who can surely distinguish my poor English and a joke.
:)
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[Jamie (K)]