|
The etymology of the word 'awful' doesn't begin with negative connotations. In fact it originally meant 'awe-inspiring' (along with negative meanings like 'inspiring fear'.) It wasn't until much later that we solidified 'awful' into negative and created 'awesome' as the positive aspects of awe. Conclusion: you're all awful. https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/6802/awesome-vs-awful Originally, awful had the meaning of being awe-inspiring (including positive connotations), as well as "worthy of, or commanding, profound respect or reverential fear." It was not a far stretch to then use it also to mean "Causing dread; terrible, dreadful, appalling." The earliest records of these uses date back to at least 1000 AD. Between 1000 and 1800, the word evolved to the current meaning: "Frightful, very ugly, monstrous; and hence as a mere intensive deriving its sense from the context = Exceedingly bad, great, long, etc." Awesome came around much later than awful. It is first recorded in 1598, after awful had been around hundreds of years. Perhaps the need for this word arose because awful had already taken on such a strong negative connotation by this time. So awesome stepped in to again have the meaning of "awe-inspiring", but without the strong negative connotations. Ultimately, in the mid-1900s, the word awesome went from awe-inspiring to its more common use today: "amazing, great, etc." |
#
?
Oct 10, 2021 17:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 10:45 |
|
|
|
cool 🙂👍 e: this is a good post i mean, sorry i didn't mean for that to come across weird |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2021 22:00
|
|
|
|
by the specific definition being discussed in the thread, i think OP is pretty awful as well 
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2021 03:26
|
|
|
alexandriao posted:cool 🙂👍 Post-ive aggressive 
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2021 04:06
|
|
|
boo-osterous posted:by the specific definition being discussed in the thread, i think OP is pretty awful as well 
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2021 04:07
|
|