Someone said “I pretty liked it.” How do I explain why that’s wrong? You can say I really liked but not pretty liked or very liked. How do I do explain this to a student?
How was your day?
Pretty good.
How or why did this happen to this word which originally meant beautiful, pleasing to the eye, etc?
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Edit: What does "pretty" mean ? :)
Thank you!
"Pretty" is normally used as an adjective, referring to one's appearance. It's also used though in phrases such as "pretty much" or "pretty good," as a synonym for "fairly" or "somewhat." Does anyone know the connection between these definitions?
Etymonline has a note on the adjectival use, from the Oxford English Dictionary:
After the [Old English] period the word is unknown till the 15th [century], when it becomes all at once frequent in various senses, none identical with the [Old English], though derivable from it
I wonder if there is any connection between the evolution of "pretty" and "fairly."
The earliest cite in the OED (for the adverbial use) gives a clue:
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Audaculus, a pretie hardie felow, vsed in derision. (Cooper Thesaurus of 1565).
Is this a fellow who is pretty and hardy, or one who is considerably hardy? (Note that in 1565, "pretty" could mean "clever" or "admirable").
Pretty weird that a pretty girl doesn't mean pretty girly or pretty weird a type of weird that is pretty. Pretty strange really.
Please can you explain the origin of 'pretty' being synonymous with 'fairly', as in "that was pretty good".
I am British, but this colloquialism is used quite commonly here too. I don't understand it though, as it's literal definition seems so far detached from how it is meant.
• In the sentences below, for example, does "pretty" strengthens or weakens the meaning of the adjective?
Your food is pretty good!
When I asked her if she was doing good, she answered, "I'm pretty good!"
I had a pretty good day; what about you?
My brother is pretty cute.
• What about "fairly"? In the examples below, does it strengthens or weakens the meaning of the adjective?
I can speak Japanese fairly well.
This food is fairly good.
I had a fairly good day, thanks; what about you?
Thank you for your help!
Hi,
I have come across some idioms such as "be in a pretty pickle" and "cost sb a pretty penny"
In what sense is "pretty" used in these sentences?
It feels like an adjective here, but as an adjective, "pretty" usually means beautiful and that meaning doesn't seem to quite fit into these idioms.
as an adverb, it can mean large. But in these phrases it is not used as an adverb. it comes before the noun, isn't it?
it feels like the first idiom should be like: "be in a pretty **bad** pickle", Obviously it isn't but why?
can somebody please explain the reason?
thank you
A native speaker of American English said to a non native speaker, "Your English is pretty good." What does he really mean? Is "Your English is pretty good" a compliment or insult? Since the adverb "pretty" means either "somewhat" or "very," I'm not sure if "Your English is pretty good" is a compliment. What does the adverb "pretty" mean in American English?
As FumbleFingers says, this is a pretty old use, going back to Early Modern English:
Pretty (pri•ti) adv. Forms: see prec. [The adj. in adverbial use.]
1. To a considerable extent, considerably; in a fair or moderate degree, fairly, moderately, tolerably; [...]
1598 FLORIO Dict. Ep. Ded. 3 Boccace is prettie hard, yet understood: Petrarche harder but explained. —OED 1
(I offer this OED 1 citation rather than the earlier one reproduced by FumbleFingers because I am not convinced that the use in the earlier citation is adverbial.)
Pretty has a complicated history, as you may see from the OED 1 entry which immediately precedes the link above: from cunning, artful to clever, skilful to ‘a general epithet of admiration or appreciation... fine, pleasing, proper’, and so forth, leading to the main modern sense ‘having beauty without majesty or stateliness’; but the origin of this adverbial use clearly lies in OED 1 sense 5 for the adjective:
5. Considerable in number, quantity, or extent, as in a pretty deal, while, way, etc.; also a pretty many = a good many; ...
OED 1 gives citations for this use dating from c. 1485 down to 1861, but marks it as ‘Now arch. or dial.’
I am surprised you did not find this in any dictionary; I found it in the first three online dictionaries I checked, Collins, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster. All three post definitions for the adverb after those for the adjective.
Perhaps it has to do with French influence after the Norman conquest from the expression "près de" (near) since it means "close to" or "right up to"? I have NO evidence of this. Does anyone? This just came to mind.