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A comment on Learn to read Middle English. Parent comment

Re:Learn to read Middle English by duskwuff on Tuesday June 09, 2020 @08:58PM (#23472726)
"Fast" is an interesting word in English -- it has a diverse (or is it "dyuers"?) set of meanings surrounding both "rapid", "secure" (i.e. "stand fast" or "fast asleep"), and "abstain" ("fasting").

Its relative, "quick", has some weird historical attachments as well -- it can mean both "rapid" and "alive" (as in "quicksand" or the "quick" of a nail).

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Re:Learn to read Middle English by thaumasiotes on Tuesday June 09, 2020 @11:42PM (#23473670)
> "secure" (i.e. "stand fast" or "fast asleep")

The most common example of this sense today would be "fasten".

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Re:Learn to read Middle English by cyberdrunk on Wednesday June 10, 2020 @06:09AM (#23475486)
> Its relative, "quick", has some weird historical attachments as well -- it can mean both "rapid" and "alive" (as in "quicksand" or the "quick" of a nail).

Likely also "quicksilver"?

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Re:Learn to read Middle English by _emacsomancer_ on Tuesday June 09, 2020 @11:19PM (#23473567)
"fast on the heels of" gives you an idea of how to connect the senses
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