‘Reticent’ can be used to refer to both “a tendency to be silent or non-communicative in speech” or “reluctance.” While some consider the meaning of “reluctantly” to be inelegant, it has been in widespread use for decades.
The oldest meaning of discreet (and one that is still in use) is “a tendency to be silent or not to communicate in speech.” The word is an early 1800s Latin loanword (it derives from .). reticremeans “keep silent”). It is used by the likes of George Eliot and Ralph Waldo Emerson to describe people who are reservedly silent when others may stammer—or even just mutter a word or two—about something.
Although ‘reticent’ originally meant ‘tend to be silent’, it can now also be used as a synonym for ‘reluctantly’—most commonly in the case of reluctant communication .
Within 50 years, the word began to develop a broader meaning. Instead of just describing people who are afraid to speak, it is used to describe people who are simply reluctant. Often, however, the idea is conveyed in the same way as it was in its original use: phrases such as “secretly give information” and “tlie talk about it” maintain the meaning of “tend to speak”.
discreet means “hesitantly” or “reluctantly” usually followed by “to” and a verb. At the beginning of the 20th century reserved is not all that common, and when it is used, it is followed by verbs that retain the original “don’t want to say” meaning, like discuss And talk. Or it is not followed by a verb at all, as in phrases like “don’t care about error” or “don’t care about us”. But as the 20th century passed, the use of discreet meaning “hesitancy” increased, and by the 1940s reserved increasingly followed by verbs such as accept, joinAnd do. While some reviewers found this “reluctant” feeling discreet deprecated it is widely used in edited and published text.
One of the strangest aspects of intelligent people is that we are so reticent about accepting easy answers to big questions.— David McWilliams, Irish TimesMarch 14, 2020
Cone also recalled a time James spoke in class during a discussion about why non-black transit students were afraid to join the High School Students Black Student Research Club. — Bill Wagner, Baltimore SunJuly 4, 2021
Some other critics argue that DeSantis hasn’t done enough to help other Republicans and hasn’t committed to fundraising or political events that don’t benefit him, even as his national star he’s on the rise.— Tim Craig & Josh Dawsey, washington articlesFebruary 27, 2022
Another note: discreet developed another contemporaneous meaning of “reluctantly”: “restricted in expression, presentation, or form.” This meaning is fully established and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone, some prefer to use it to describe wines that are not mature enough to speak to their full aromatic mind.
Mira Pinot Noir Napa Valley Hyde Vineyard 2016 ($90). This is a rich, full-bodied pinot noir with cherry and cranberry flavors and a hint of spice in the finish. Big and a little discreet, but it gets old.— Tom Marquadt & Patrick Darr, Capital (Annapolis, MD), July 27, 2022
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
