Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Q&A about words comely
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
this is an interesting pair. comely has always had the sense of "fair, pretty, ‘nice-looking’, pleasing: in modern use implying a lower or homelier style of personal beauty, which pleases but does not excite admiration"; and homely was originally characteristic of the home, esp. a humble home, and when applied to a person, "of commonplace appearance or features; not beautiful, ‘plain’, uncomely. [E.A.]
[quotes from OED2]
so, getting out the ol' continuum chart,
ugly______________homely___comely_____________beautiful
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted comely ginax 11/12/02 04:42 PM Re: comely Faldage 11/12/02 04:46 PM Re: comely wwh 11/12/02 04:55 PM Re: comely wwh 11/12/02 04:58 PM Re: comely/homely tsuwm 11/12/02 06:05 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,423Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 849 guests, and 2 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 24
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,593tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,922Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org