![]() Of colors, "to spread in a fabric when exposed to moisture," 1771. Of machinery or mechanical devices, "go through normal or allotted movements or operation," 1560s. ![]() Of conveyances, stage lines, etc., "perform a regular passage from place to place" by 1817. 1300 as "keep going, extend through a period of time, remain in existence." Specifically of theater plays by 1808. as "have a certain direction or course." By c. 1200 as "compete in a race." Extended to "strive for any ends," especially "enter a contest for office or honors, stand as a candidate in an election" (1826, American English). 1200 as "take flight, retreat hurriedly or secretly." Phrase run for it "take flight" is attested from 1640s.Īlso from c. ![]() Of streams, etc., "to flow," from late Old English. Watkins says both are from PIE *ri-ne-a-, nasalized form of root *rei- "to run, flow," but Boutkan's sources find this derivation doubtful based on the poor attestation of supposed related forms, and he lists it as of "No certain IE etymology." The second is Old English transitive weak verb ærnan, earnan "ride, run to, reach, gain by running" (probably a metathesis of *rennan), from Proto-Germanic *rannjanan, causative of the root *ren- "to run." This is cognate with Old Saxon renian, Old High German rennen, German rennen, Gothic rannjan. The first is intransitive rinnan, irnan "to run, flow, run together" (past tense ran, past participle runnen), which is cognate with Middle Dutch runnen, Old Saxon, Old High German, Gothic rinnan, German rinnen "to flow, run." The modern verb is a merger of two related Old English words, in both of which the initial two letters sometimes switched places. Old English, "move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking," also "make haste, hurry be active, pursue or follow a course," and, of inanimate things, "to move over a course." About face as a military command (short for right about face) is first attested 1861, American English. ![]() ![]() To bring about "cause or affect" and to come about "happen" are from late 14c. as "near at hand, about one's person." "In a circuitous course," hence "on the move" (late 13c.), and in Middle English "be about to do, be busy in preparation for," hence its use as a future participle in (to be) about to "in readiness, intending." Abouts (late 14c.), with adverbial genitive, still found in hereabouts, etc., probably is a northern dialectal form. as "in partial rotation, so as to face in a different direction." From late 14c. as "in the matter, in connection with." From early 14c. 1300 it had developed senses of "around, in a circular course, round and round on every side, so as to surround in every direction " also "engaged in" ( Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?), and gradually it forced out Old English ymbe, ymbutan (from PIE root *ambhi- "around") in the sense "round about, in the neighborhood of."įrom mid-13c. Middle English aboute, from Old English abutan (adv., prep.), earlier onbutan "on the outside of around the circumference of, enveloping in the vicinity of, near hither and thither, from place to place," also "with a rotating or spinning motion," in late Old English "near in time, number, degree, etc., approximately " a compound or contraction of on (see on also see a- (1)) + be "by" (see by) + utan "outside," from ut (see out (adv.)).īy c. ![]()
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