Think about the word "bore" for aminute. To bore a hole or to bore someone. How did the same word come to such different meanings?
Think about the word "bore" for aminute. To bore a hole or to bore someone. How did the same word come to such different meanings?
Ask and ye shall receive...
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?...earchmode=none
bore
O.E. borian "to bore," from bor "auger," from P.Gmc. *boron, from PIE base *bhor-/*bhr- "to cut with a sharp point" (cf. Gk. pharao "I plow," L. forare "to bore, pierce," O.C.E. barjo "to strike, fight," Alb. brime "hole"). The meaning "diameter of a tube" is first recorded 1572; hence fig. slang full bore (1936) "at maximum speed," from notion of unchoked carburetor on an engine.
Sense of "be tiresome or dull" first attested 1768, a vogue word c.1780-81, possibly a figurative extension of "to move forward slowly and steadily."
"The secret of being a bore is to tell everything." [Voltaire, "Sept Discours en Vers sur l'Homme," 1738]
Boredom "state of being bored" first recorded 1852; boring "wearisome" is from 1840.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Sounds like "bore" in the old sense simply transformed metaphorically to the 1768 sense. Someone perhaps who grinds imperceptibly slowly through conversations, like an auger.
A form of metonymy.
Last edited by Falls City Beer; 05-25-2006 at 02:41 PM.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
I agree. I'd imagine the first use was something like "You bore me," as in "you grind away at me." It later morphed to "I'm bored" and then to "a state of boredom."Originally Posted by Falls City Beer
"I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful
This thread is boring.
Thanks, guys. I was trying to make that connection, and couldn'tWord usage over time fascinates me. I should have been a linguist.
If there was any money in etymology, that would be my career.
And no, I don't mean bugs.
"I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful
There are linguists at acting schools. The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco in particular is very concerned with language and the linguists study the texts with the dramaturgs to find the roots of the words and what that may mean for the plays, then translate this to the actors whom they also help with accents and mouth work. It's a varied, interesting, and cool job I would think. On the down side, you have to work with actors all day long.
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.
Did you know that the word "host," as in "one who receives guests" is derived from the proto-Indo-European ghostis-*, which means "stranger?"
There's something unbelievably uncanny about that.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
"Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?" -- Gallagher
When all is said and done more is said than done.
I had to look up "metonymy". Interesting word.
I've always been a word geek. Do lots of crossword puzzles (in ink, no reference material), play Scrabble, used to play a game called Scribbage with my dad for hours, and sometimes read the dictionary.
I am quite the exciting guy.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Funny, all these years I thought that was Socrates.
Stick to your guns.
Posting Permissions
|
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |
Reply With Quote