Re: OED Help! (was couth/uncouth)

[Ann Amsler <aamsler -at- STRAUSS -dot- UDEL -dot- EDU>]

I knew this OED on my desk would come in handy sometime!  The OED says
that "couth" is Old English and means "known" or familiar (as in the
Riddles, 1000 A.D.: "That word was sone wide couth." [That word was soon
widely known.]).  The word also appears in Old High German.  The OED
lists uncouth as the negative of couth.Uncouth is also Old English, and
appeared in AElfred in 897.  So...no back formation here.  Just two Old
English words that survive today. (Sorry I can't do the OE "th" on my
computer.
Ann Amsler

On Tue, 27 Dec 1994, Michael LaTorra wrote:

> Karen --

> You have a point about Webster's not specifically calling
> "couth" a backformation.  And you're right that the dictionary
> categorized "uncouth" as Middle English, not Old English
> (which wasn't what I intended to claim; I wrote "old English"
> as in "not contemporary" but I should have been more clear).

> * 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 *

>        REQUEST FOR ETYMOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE

> Does anybody on this list have access to the Oxford English
> Dictionary?  If so, would you please tell us what the OED says
> about "couth/uncouth"?  Thanks!

> * 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 *


> Live long & prosper,
> Mike LaTorra

> Documentation Supervisor
> Accugraph Inc.
> mikel -at- accugraph -dot- com
> ......................................................................
> The opinions expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of my
> company -- but they probably should be.
> ......................................................................