Linguistic oddities

a) To be caught unawares:

Any special reason why this should be in what seems to be a plural form??

b) presently meaning soon or in a short while.

Say what?? (Yes, I know that in current usage, it
does mean ‘at the moment’; it’s the rather flaky definition above which piques my curiosity):slight_smile:

Plug them in here:

You should get useful information.

The short of it though: “-s” is an old adverb suffix for “unawares”

“Presently” seems to have evolved from an archaic definition that meant “at once.”

“Presently” in the sense of “the time following shortly” has been around since 1566. Could be related to “recently”.

“Unawares” dates from 1535. Merriam-Webster has the -s suffix for advers as

So, I guess in this case, it is a state of being unaware.

quote:

used to form adverbs denoting usual or repeated action or state <always at home Sundays> <mornings he stops by the newsstand>

Hmm. Yes, the examples, I have no problem with. Although I’m not sure how this would relate to ‘unawares’, it not being a ‘usual or repeated action or state’ (my bold). Just my take, though, and I’m probably off track.
““Presently” seems to have evolved from an archaic definition that meant “at once.””

Sounds good too. But ‘at once’ and ‘soon’ or ‘in a short while’ are a bit different, aren’t they?

Try the American Heritage Dictionary, which is better for etymologies and usage.

-s[sup]3[/sup] suff. Used to form adverbs: They were caught unawares. He works nights. [Middle English -es, -s, genitive sing. suff., from Old English -es.]

(Nothing there about frequentative or habitual action. The genitive is the same as what we now call the possessive, ending in -'s.)

pres·ent·ly (prez´@nt-le) adv. 1. In a short time; soon: She will arrive presently. 2. Usage problem At this time or period; now: *He is presently staying with us. 3. Archaic At once; immediately.


Usage Note An original meaning of presently was “at the present time; currently.” That sense is said to have disappeared from the literary language in the 17th century, but it has survived in popular usage and is widely found nowadays in literate speech and writing. Still, there is a lingering prejudice against this use. The sentence General Walters is . . . presently the United States ambassador to the United Nations was acceptable to only 50 per cent of the Usage Panel in the late 1980s.


According to the Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, “The sense of immediately is first recorded in Lydgate’s Minor Poems (about 1430), and that of the weakened sense of in the time that follows shortly, soon, before 1566.”

What Barnhart seems to be implying is that the near future is thought of as just an extension of the present moment. Which reminds me of a guy who used to like saying “I’ll see you in the very near now.”

Thanks for the…addendum, Mojo. That said, English is a walk through the park compared to French when it comes to…oddities.

“Long since” has always bothered me.

He has become quite rich since I saw him last. We don’t communicate, since he was such a jerk. His ex-wife and I are good friends, since they have long since been divorced.

So here’s a word that means “after,” “because,” and “before.” What gives?

I wish the airlines would discover the word “presently” as opposed to “momentarily”. The idea of leaving the ground for only a moment is not something I like to contemplate.:stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks to immediately followed by something totally negative:

“Thanks to his inept management, the company has registered its worst quarterly performance in a decade.”
What the F* is there to be thankful for?!?

(Thanks for letting me vent…:D)

Defintion #2 of “thanks” from the afore-mentioned M-W dictionary site:

So, you see that it’s not gratitude that the word “thanks” is expressing; it’s assignment of responsibility.

Well, yes…I’d seen that. What I’d like to know is, at what point did it move from gratitude (which I believe was the original meaning) to assignment of responsibility. And why?

Uh, do you think it might have been sarcasm?

Thanks to all the class clowns of history, language is a puzzle for some.