Any lingusits here, I am curious about how 'pretty' came to mean 'quite' in English, as in 'That's pretty good'. I can't see any obvious connection. Anyone know?
Pretty good
i don't know ,maybe someone say a girl are pretty ,and one day they saw
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
i don't know ,maybe someone say a girl are pretty ,and one day they saw
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
Here's what the Online Etymology Dictionary has to say about the evolution of "pretty":
pretty
O.E. prættig (W.Saxon), *prettig (Mercian) "cunning, skillful, artful," from prætt, *prett "a trick, wile, craft," from W.Gmc. *pratt- (cf. O.N. prettr "a trick," prettugr "tricky;" Fris. pret, M.Du. perte, Du. pret "trick, joke," Du. prettig "sportive, funny," Flem. pertig "brisk, clever"). Connection between O.E. and M.E. words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to "manly, gallant," and later moved via "attractive, skillfully made," to "fine," to "beautiful in a slight way" (1440). For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Used to qualify adjectives and adverbs ("moderately") since 1565. As a verb (usually with up) it is attested from 1916. Prettily is from c.1400; prettify first recorded 1850. Pretty-boy is attested from 1885. A pretty penny "lot of money" is first recorded 1768
It doesn't answer the question, but I think it's interesting anyway, especially the fact that it used to mean "manly"!
pretty
O.E. prættig (W.Saxon), *prettig (Mercian) "cunning, skillful, artful," from prætt, *prett "a trick, wile, craft," from W.Gmc. *pratt- (cf. O.N. prettr "a trick," prettugr "tricky;" Fris. pret, M.Du. perte, Du. pret "trick, joke," Du. prettig "sportive, funny," Flem. pertig "brisk, clever"). Connection between O.E. and M.E. words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to "manly, gallant," and later moved via "attractive, skillfully made," to "fine," to "beautiful in a slight way" (1440). For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Used to qualify adjectives and adverbs ("moderately") since 1565. As a verb (usually with up) it is attested from 1916. Prettily is from c.1400; prettify first recorded 1850. Pretty-boy is attested from 1885. A pretty penny "lot of money" is first recorded 1768
It doesn't answer the question, but I think it's interesting anyway, especially the fact that it used to mean "manly"!
i don't know ,maybe someone say a girl are pretty ,and one day they saw
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
Haha, good one. Maybe so.
another more cute one.so they say you are pretty pretty
Haha, good one. Maybe so.
Thanks Deborah
>>For sense evolution, compare nice, silly<<
I remember being told that 'nice' actually means 'exact', and not 'pleasant' as most people use it to mean today.
>>For sense evolution, compare nice, silly<<
I remember being told that 'nice' actually means 'exact', and not 'pleasant' as most people use it to mean today.
You're welcome, Aquatar.
<<I remember being told that 'nice' actually means 'exact', and not 'pleasant' as most people use it to mean today.>>
I'd put it a little differently: A former meaning of "nice" was "exact".
<<I remember being told that 'nice' actually means 'exact', and not 'pleasant' as most people use it to mean today.>>
I'd put it a little differently: A former meaning of "nice" was "exact".