a missing "fast"?

[Laurence Horn]

Well, one issue I had was whether "fast" in "She is fast my wife" is really an adjective in the first place.  I'd have thought it's an adverb.  In "bind her fast", "hold X fast", etc. I have no problem diagnosing a 4a adjectival use, but "fast my wife" seems different.  No ordinary adjectives appear in the frame "She is ____ my wife".  Now "She is fast, my wife", that *would* be possible—but different.

"She is securely my wife, save that..." is more or less possible, though, with FAST adv. 2a, as in 
1850    E. B. Browning Rom. Page,   And wedded fast were we.



LH

On Aug 25, 2011, at 12:29 PM, victor steinbok wrote:

> I'm not sure I see the alternative, but I have no expertise in the matter.
> OED fast adj.:
> 
> I. Firm.
>> 1. a. Firmly fixed in its place; not easily moved or shaken; settled,
>> stable. Obs. or arch. exc. as said predicatively of something fixed as in a
>> socket (e.g. a nail, a post), where the sense approaches 4.
>> b. In immaterial sense; esp. Of a person, his attributes, feelings, etc.:
>> Not easily turned aside, constant, firm, steadfast. Now only in fast foe
>> (arch.), fast friend; in the latter the adj. is commonly apprehended in
>> sense 4.
>> ...
>> d. †Of sleep: Deep, sound, unbroken. Of persons: = fast asleep at sense
>> 1e. Obs. exc. dial.
>> e. fast aground, fast ashore: (of a vessel) fixed on the ground, the
>> shore. fast asleep: fixed in sleep, sound asleep, in a deep sleep.In these
>> phrases fast seems to have been originally the grammatical predicate; now it
>> is usually apprehended as an adv. qualifying aground, ashore, asleep.
>> f. Of a colour: That will not quickly fade or wash out; permanent. Also
>> fast-colour attrib.
>> g. fast line (Surveying): see quot. 1807. hard and fast line: see hard and
>> fast adj.
> 
> 
> Also,
> 
> 4. a. Firmly attached to something else; that cannot easily escape or be
>> extricated; fixed to the spot; lit. and fig. Said both of persons and
>> things.
> 
> 
> 
> Given a choice, I would have said it's 4.a., not 1.a. that's in play here
> (in Measure for Measure).
> 
> On the other hand, another one from the same period is 1.d. (should be among
> the quotations too):
> 
> Beaumont & Fletcher.
> The Queen of Corinth [1616?]
> Act 2. Scene 1.
> 
>> Mer. ... Goodness, hold my hope fast, And in thy mercies look upon my
>> ruins, And then I am right!--My eyes grow dead and heavy.--
>> [Enter six disguised, singing and dancing to a horrid music, and sprinkling
>> water on her face.]
>> Wrong me no more, as ye are men! [Faints.]
>> The. She is fast!
>> Cra. Away with her! [Exeunt, bearing her off. ]
> 
> ...
> Scene 3.
> 
>> [Enter THEANOR, CRATES, and ERATON carrying MERIONE.]
>>  Era. This is her brother's door.
>> Cra. There lay her down, then;
>> Lay her along. She is fast still?
>> Era. As forgetfulness.
>> Cra. Be not you stirr'd now, but away to your mother;
>> Give all attendance; let no stain appear
>> Of fear or doubt in your face; carry yourself confidently.
> 
> 
> 
> Then, there's Massinger, who also uses 4.a., but in a more literal sense
> ("bind fast").
> 
> Philip Massinger
> The Bashful Lover. [1655]
> Act 3. Scene 3.
> 
>>  Pisan. What shall we do?
> 
> Or end our
> 
> Difference in killing her, Or fight it out?
>>  Alon. To the last Gasp. I feel The moist
> 
> Tears on my Cheeks, and blush to find
> 
> A Vijgin's Plaints can move so.
>>  Pisan. To prevent
> 
> Her Flight while we contend, let's bind her fast
> 
> To this Cypress-Tree.
>>  Alon. Agreed.
>>  Matil. It does presage
>> My Funeral Rites.
>>  Gal. I shall turn Atheist,
>> If Heaven see and suffer this. Why did I
>> Abandon my good Sword? with unarm'd Hands
>> I cannot rescue her. Some Angel pluck. me
>> From the Apostacy I'm falling to,
>> And by a Miracle lend me a Weapon
>> To underprop falling Honour.
>>  Pisan. She is fast,
>> Resume your Arms.
>>  Alon. Honour, Revenge, the Maid too Lie at the Stake.
> 
> 
> 
> I just don't see it. The Measure for Measure use seems to be straight match
> for 4.a.
> 
> VS-)
> 
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Regarding the German, the cognate for English "fast" is the German "fest".
>> 
>> Close enough for government work?
>> 
>> DanG
> 
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