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stranger
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stranger
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How come English uses the word "pay" where other languages use "make?" For example, "pay attention", "pay a visit", "pay my condolences". I would hate to think it's because of the Anglo-American mercantile culture!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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How come Romance languages use the word "make" for such things as the temperature of the air, as it "It makes cold."
It might as well "pay" cold as "make" cold.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pay - in the sense of "pay attention" or "pay one's condolences" - means to render or bestow according to the COD. There is no explanation of its provenance.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
How come English uses the word "pay" where other languages use "make?" For example, "pay attention", "pay a visit", "pay my condolences". I would hate to think it's because of the Anglo-American mercantile culture!
'pay' is given fifteen (count them, 15) senses by the OED, most of them dating before Shakepeare, including this sense:
8. (With the notion of debt weakened to that of duty or fitness, or lost.) To render, bestow (something considered as due, deserved or befitting, e.g. attention, heed, respect, court, a compliment, a visit, etc.). Usually with to or simple dat.
1590 Shakes. Mids. N. v. i. 99 Not paying me a welcome. 1654–66 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 381, I went+to pay her a visit. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 122 35 After having paid their Respects to Sir Roger. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xvi, Farmer Williams+had paid her his addresses. 1796 E. Parsons Myst. Warning II. 222 The Gentlemen paid her many compliments. 1866 Duke of Argyll Reign Law vii. (1871) 386 Too little attention being paid to the progress of opinion. 1882 Besant Revolt of Man vi. (1883) 152 They paid little heed to the sermon.
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old hand
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old hand
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Perhaps "pay" has become shortened from "pray" - as in: "Pray - your attention please"
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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sorry, I should have posted the etymology while I was at it:
[ME. a. F. payer (12th c. in Littré) to pay, in OF. also to appease, satisfy, please (so in Cotgr. 1611) = Pr., Sp., Pg. pagar, It. pagare:—L. pacare to appease, pacify, reduce to peace, in med.L. also ‘to pay’, f. pax, pac-em peace. The sense ‘pacify’, applied specifically to that of ‘pacify or satisfy a creditor’, came in Com. Romanic to mean ‘to pay a creditor’, and so ‘to pay’ generally. In some of the Romanic langs. the vb. has still both senses; but in Fr. as in Eng. the sense ‘satisfy, please’ is now obs.]
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alexmarx, I bid, render, bestow, and yes, pay you welcome!  (That'll be $.05 a word.)
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stranger
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OP
stranger
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And I shall remit in a gentle tender that is dear and clear, to wit, Thank You!
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