hopefully

[W Brewer]

Dan Nussbaum wrote:  <<<In the sentence, "Hopefully, the sun will rise
tomorrow" the word hopefully is being used incorrectly. What word should be
used?>>>
WB: Geocentrismwise, the sun will rise tomorrow.
Shapiro, Fred wrote: <<< earliest example … Cotton Mather (!) in 1702.>>>
WB: Herr Hoffmann (of Jazzmusik fame) also taught us that this englisch use
of <hopefully> was borrowed from German <hoeffentlich>, part of the war
booty from WW2. And, by George, my Cassells does indeed gloss
<hoeffentlich> with (adv. it is to be hoped that). Krauts got no problem
with it. {Hopefully the sun will rise tomorrow, but no doubt will
disappointedly set.}

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