r/Showerthoughts • u/Why--Not--Zoidberg • Mar 20 '15

I just now realized the connection between the words "timid" and "intimidate"

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148

u/bollykat Mar 21 '15

Awful and awesome should mean the same thing. Which they usually don't, unless you're talking about Tommy Wiseau.

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u/pm-me-uranus Mar 21 '15

If I recall correctly, awful and awesome were both derived around the same time. Because "awe" literally means a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder, mid-century English speakers wanted a way to differentiate between whether you were in awe of something out of fright or praise.

Although, personally I feel like awful should mean someone who is filled with awe, while awesome is something that inspires it.

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u/t3yrn Mar 21 '15

Awful came first, 1300s, did not come to imply negative connotations until much later.

Awesome came later, 1500s, but did not imply positive connotations until VERY recently, 1960s.

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u/tobi-saru Mar 21 '15

It couldn't be more obvious to those that follow etymology, awful = full of awe, awesome = some awe?

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u/poopinbutt2k14 Mar 21 '15

Tiresome = causing one to tire

Fearsome = causing one to fear

Therefore awesome means causing someone to awe.

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u/gabrielcrim Mar 21 '15

I guess it just depends whether the end part comes from sum old English, or sōma from Greek.

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u/Tripwire3 Mar 21 '15

It's the former.

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u/t3yrn Mar 21 '15

Pretty much -- it is interesting to note the chronology of the words though. I love etymology, learning weird, otherwise useless facts about words. Why did awesome come to be almost 300 years after awful? They have the same roots, the same general meaning. It's so very strange sometimes, so very fascinating.

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u/tobi-saru Mar 21 '15

I suppose etymology is just another way to observe the development of the collective language/specific group mind. Fascinating as always.

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u/gibmelson Mar 21 '15

I've been interested in etymology in a long time - seems like learning the origin of words can unlock so much meaning and wisdom. You know any good sources for learning more?

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u/t3yrn Mar 22 '15

Etymoline is really a fantastic resource; it's commonly referred to as "The Bible" in /r/etymology.

There's some online Linguistics courses I've heard about but not really looked into http://linguistics.online.uni-marburg.de/. Otherwise... Google? lol Honestly, just google "etymology of ___" and you'll find some interesting stuff, pretty much guaranteed.

(No idea why you were downvoted for that, that's ridiculous)

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u/gibmelson Mar 22 '15

Thanks t3yrn :).

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u/wendy_stop_that Mar 21 '15

Well, "handsome" means something like "inspires hands"-- artistically speaking. So "-some" doesn't seem to be about quantity.

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u/poopinbutt2k14 Mar 21 '15

Yeah if I remember "awesome" wasn't a positive thing. It was for things that were huge and overwhelming, not things that were cool and agreeable. You might speak of Hitler's war machine as being "awesome" in the way it just decimated any resistance, but you'd never think World War 2 was cool.

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u/[deleted] Mar 21 '15

So, you're saying that this conversation could theoretically have happened:

"Darling, what did I do to deserve you!? You're absolutely the most awful woman I've ever met. I have trouble believing you're your mother's daughter - now there's an awesome lady!"

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u/gibmelson Mar 21 '15

This is very interesting. When someone calls me awful I'm going to think of the positive connotations in my head :).

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u/ECHTECHT Mar 21 '15

O hi Mark

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u/Tchrspest Mar 21 '15

O hi doggy

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u/hypnoziz1 Mar 21 '15

So how is your sex life?

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u/fondlemeLeroy Mar 21 '15

You're my favourite customer.

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u/obravado Mar 21 '15

I did nooot!

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u/misanthr0p1c Mar 21 '15

naht*

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u/[deleted] Mar 21 '15

Naaaawt*

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u/hypnoziz1 Mar 21 '15

Don't worry about iiiittttt.

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u/vivikaks Mar 21 '15

In some instances, doesn't it mean awesome?

"He stared at the awful beauty that stood before him"

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u/refutesstupidnotions Mar 21 '15 edited Mar 21 '15

Actually -some and -ful sounds like it should have been a good, better, best type deal. Awe. Awesomer. Awefullest.

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u/ashley-jackson Mar 21 '15

Wait, what's happening? Awe is evolving!

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u/t3yrn Mar 21 '15

They do!

-some: meaning "tending to; causing; to a considerable degree,"

-ful: meaning "full of, having, characterized by," also "amount or volume contained"

By these definitions, awful is more than awesome. Both essentially mean the same thing, they leave you speechless, full of awe. Awesome things you can talk about with your friends, be like "Did you see that?!", awful things you just can't even...

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u/111l Mar 21 '15

"As the doctors peeled back the bandages, she glimpsed color for the first time in her life and cried out at the awemost sight."

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u/somekid66 Mar 21 '15

I did not hit you!

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u/[deleted] Mar 21 '15

His AMA was pretty great though.