Wiktionary:Etymology scriptorium/2012/May

Origin and history of 'of course'
Hello. I looked at the pages for 'of course' and 'course' but couldn't get what I came for:

(1) What was the origin and literal meaning of 'of course', considering there are so many senses to course itself? Which of these senses begat the adverb? That is, how was the expression literally intended or understood when it came to be?

(2) What is the history of this adverb? In which century did it appear? Oldest written usage? When did it become a household expression?

I needed it to try and answer my ESL nephew, but I don't have access to an OED; thanks if you can shed some light... 62.147.27.131 11:58, 21 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I believe that originally it meant "in the ordinary course of events". In the 19th century (I believe) it came to mean "naturally", "as expected", "obviously", and was sometimes used just for emphasis. SemperBlotto (talk) 12:27, 21 May 2012 (UTC)

Thank you. Meanwhile, I also found this page that confirms your etymo and provides earlier history. I have added the data to of course (merged with your answer, because "of the ordinary course of events" provides a better literal explanation than theirs), please check my formatting if you can. 62.147.25.98 18:38, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

tug
How close is German Zug to English tug? --KYPark (talk) 14:12, 25 May 2012 (UTC)


 * The two words are distantly related. I see that tug: is missing an Etymology, so I will add it. I will try and work in some information about Zug: if I can. Leasnam (talk) 15:21, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks in advance, whatever your edit may be. --KYPark (talk) 15:38, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note that today I edited zogo, herizogo, and The Hague. --KYPark (talk) 16:25, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I can't find anything about its origin beyond that it comes from a base Germanic stem *tug- and is related to Old English, both from the IE root *dewk-. 16:33, 25 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Dutch is related, too. It's from Middle Dutch toghe, tueghe, from the same Proto-Germanic . --MaEr (talk) 17:10, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes and that also gave Old English . 17:28, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * This is a large family of words: others include team:, tie:, tow:, and even educate:! Leasnam (talk) 17:50, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I've added an etymology, but I've restricted it to only those words which are immediately related. Otherwise, it could go on for days. Leasnam (talk) 17:51, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I've created now, feel free to add descendants to it!  17:52, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * This is partly due to Verner's Law. Is there an appropriate way to work this into the etymologies somewhere? Chuck Entz (talk) 17:58, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I don't think that would really be useful unless we also want a set a precedent to add similar phonological notes to most of our etymologies. And I think that goes outside the scope of Wiktionary. 18:00, 25 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Perhaps we could set up appendices for sound changes, since they're as much a part of etymologies as reconstructed roots. Of course, there would have to be allowance for showing that much is still a matter of debate, including alternate versions. Chuck Entz (talk) 18:18, 25 May 2012 (UTC)

Our etymology for doceo: refers to a different root, but do you think that perhaps those roots are related? --Μετάknowledge discuss/deeds 22:01, 31 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I don't think there is that much information on whether different roots are related. Usually roots are the elemental building blocks for words so there is no real relationship. Sometimes there are different forms of a root (like and ) but that is sporadic and not a regular change.  22:47, 31 May 2012 (UTC)
 * May I feel free here to confess my view or prejudice? To me, words are far more related than the orthodox or positivist etymology formally acknowledges. The implicit, hidden aspect of everything exposes the positivist weakest link. I clearly asked if Zug is akin to tug, while unclearly or implicitly if either is akin to duge or the like. Undoubted is the sure relatedness anyway. What remains is historicity, how they came to be related. We all appear shipwrecked here. My breakthrough here is to make and take the best, Achilles guess, maybe a sort of interpretivism. --KYPark (talk) 13:29, 2 June 2012 (UTC)
 * I think you mean, in English, meaning "a rank of nobility". duge: is apparently a form of the Danish word , meaning "dew".  -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 03:22, 3 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Oh i'm so sorry to mistake Danish carelessly for Italian  or Venetian, cognate to English , which evolved from the informal title of an army or war leader to the formal of a prince. Similar appears the case with German  translated into English , etc. One implication may be that German  is synonymous partly to Latin  "war leader" cf. dux bellorum in the archaic sense and partly to English  "prince" in the later. --KYPark (talk) 02:03, 5 June 2012 (UTC)