There are certain things in English that, despite evidence to the contrary, have for hundreds of years considered problematic by many of us (ending sentences with a preposition is one such example). And there were other usage questions that were considered problematic by a small group of people for a fairly short period of time before we collectively decided it wasn’t a big deal and all moved on. An example of this is the “appropriate” meaning of the word . longing.
Yes, you need all those books.
It is likely that most of these readers have used longing sometimes (e.g., describe themselves as ‘avid readers’) without even stopping to worry that they might be using the word wrong. While most people today work longing meaning “characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit,” for a time in the late 20th century, this meaning was considered inappropriate.
Desire … should be limited to the concept of eager desire, excessive desire, greed.— John R. Bremner, Word on Word1980
Another example illustrating the opposite error—expanding a word: “an longing supporters of the Liberal party”/; “ONE longing runner”/; “President Eisenhower was a longing golfers.” longing means hunger, greed, driven by physical appetite.— Jacques Barzun, Simple & Direct1985
We have a definition for this meaning of longing (“desire to the point of greed”), and that is the oldest meaning of the word, used in the mid-17th century.
Avid (avidus) lust, greed, lust.— Thomas Blount, Terms1661
On the other side, the greedy and corrupt conscience is fighting within itself, can never sleep or wake up, it always rushes to do evil, always doubts what will happen, but never has. intent to amend.— Anon. , Good tips to get at cheap rates1663
In response to the Objection, we reply, Procedural Interests, too often to the detriment of all of the aforementioned Interests being united or divided; Since then, it has been common for Lucre’s insatiable thirst to recklessly urge Avid’s will to grasp more than it can regulate, to suddenly become Rich….— Leonard Willan, Perfect State1668
Origin of ‘Avid’
This “greed” feeling of longing illustrate the origin of the word; it can be derived from Latin medium (“desire, longing”). There are several other words in English that share this root, including Cupid (“the eagerness,” “the greed to consume”), greed And greed (both synonyms of longingbefore use), and greed. This last word was memorably defined in 1731 by Nathaniel Bailey as “somewhat greedy” and does not appear in any current English dictionaries except Oxford English Dictionary.
Evidence shows that longing often used today to mean “very eager and enthusiastic”, instead of “greedy”, and is especially used to describe collectors, fans of all kinds, and those who pursue certain activities or hobbies (such as reading, hunting, or golfing). The word represents another case where you can safely ignore the advice in manuals from the 1980s.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
