Blessed

[Dennis R. Preston]

larry,

Careful, or some wag will write in about a short-wicked elf!

dInIs

>At 5:46 PM -0500 12/15/01, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:
>>  >Blessed as a verb is /blEst/
>>>Blessed as an adjective is /blEs ed/
>>
>>I think the adjective is either way.
>>
>>>Are there other examples of this process?
>>
>>The most obvious one is "cursed".
>>
>>>Can anyone comment on the adjective pronunciation? Is it an emphatic
>>usage started in the church (Blessed Virgin) that has become accepted?
>>
>>I can comment on anything, but not necessarily sensibly or cogently. I
>>think the stretched versions of "blessed" and "cursed" are probably favored
>>by solemn/pompous/weighty church or church-like uses. There are also poetic
>>uses ("the hornéd moon") and jocular ones ("I'm not [stupid/stoopéd], I'm
>>standing up straight").
>>
>>-- Doug Wilson
>
>How about--in honor of the holiday season--a short-wicked candle vs.
>a short, wicked elf?
>
>larry

--
Dennis R. Preston
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston at pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)353-0740
Fax: (517)432-2736