Sew - sow - Revision history

DavidWalker at 10:27, 9 April 2015

2015-04-09T10:27:09Z

PeterWilson at 08:09, 18 April 2009

2009-04-18T08:09:54Z

PeterWilson at 07:44, 18 April 2009

2009-04-18T07:44:17Z

PeterWilson at 07:43, 18 April 2009

2009-04-18T07:43:35Z

PeterWilson at 07:39, 18 April 2009

2009-04-18T07:39:24Z

PeterWilson: New page: The verbs to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are homophones, with each other and with the common adverb/conjunction '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless t...

2009-04-17T17:55:12Z

New page: The verbs to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are homophones, with each other and with the common adverb/conjunction '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless t...

New page

The [[verb]]s to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are [[homophones]], with each other and with the common [[adverb]]/[[conjunction]] '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless typing error or por knowledge of spelling. Furthermore, neither should be confused with the near homophone '''sue'''; and, in an extra complication, there are [[homograph]]s of both verbs.
*'To '''sew'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (pronounced like 'sao') is 'to join things, usually cloth, leather or similar soft materials, together by passing thread or some other cords through holes in the material.' '''Sewing''' is the most basic form of needlework.
**All the [[homograph]]s (''[[OED]]'' lists 5 [[verb]]s, 2 [[noun]]s and an [[adjective]])of this word are recorded as obsolete, or merely [[dialect]]. Unless you are studying history, or older literature, you will not need them; and if you are studying such things, you should be used to using a good [[dictionary]]. Two of the verbs give rise to different forms of [[sewer - sower]], of which one homograph is obsolete.
*'To '''sow'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (again sounding exactly the same as 'so') is 'to scatter seed (or sometimes place it very carefully) so that it may begin to grow into a useful crop'.
**Of its several [[homograph]]s, the only one current in academic English is the [[noun]] 'a '''sow'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>. This word rhymes with 'now' and 'how', and means 'a female pig'.

[[category:typos]]
[[category:disambig]]
[[category:homophones]]
[[category:homographs]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 *'''Sue''' represents two words.
 **As a [[proper noun]], with a capital letter ('''S'''ue), it is the short form of the woman's name Susan.
-**As a [[verb]], it means 'to seek', or 'to try to negotiate for'. It is mostly used in the specific legal sense of 'to start proceedings in forecourts in order to assert a claim, or ask for compensation'. A legal action of this sort is called a '''suit''', or '''lawsuit'''. One can '''sue''' <u>somebody</u>: in this construction, there is no need to say what for. The assumption is that it is for compensation (for a perceived injury). One can also '''sue '''[either [[intransitive]]ly or with a person's name]''' for''' something, such as money or a ruling of some kind - perhaps a court order to stop some behaviour seen as a nuisance, or an infringement of peace or privacy.
+**As a [[verb]], it means 'to seek', or 'to try to negotiate for'. It is mostly used in the specific legal sense of 'to start proceedings in court in order to assert a claim, or ask for compensation'. A legal action of this sort is called a '''suit''', or '''lawsuit'''. One can '''sue''' <u>somebody</u>: in this construction, there is no need to say what for. The assumption is that it is for compensation (for a perceived injury). One can also '''sue '''[either [[intransitive]]ly or with a person's name]''' for''' something, such as money or a ruling of some kind - perhaps a court order to stop some behaviour seen as a nuisance, or an infringement of peace or privacy.
 **You may come across two rather more old-fashioned uses:
 ***To '''sue for''' peace, in older histories, was to open negotiations to end a war. In individual combat, a losing fighter might sue for mercy - ask that he be allowed to surrender, rather than being killed.
 ***To '''sue''' <u>for [a woman's] hand</u> was to ask a woman to marry [sometimes her father for permission to]. This gave rise to the [[noun]] '''suitor''', to mean a man who was courting a woman.
-::'''''[[etymology|Etymological]] note''''': The verb 'to '''sue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> is derived from the French ''suivre'', 'to follow', originally the [[Latin]] ''sequor''. This is also the original [[etymological root|root]] of 'to '''prosecute'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (usually) 'to undertake [officially] an court action against someone for breaking the criminal law'; but also 'to follow up', 'to carry on', as in 'to prosecute inquiries' (~ 'to continue an investigation'), or ' to prosecute one's business') and 'to '''pursue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>.
+::'''''[[etymology|Etymological]] note''''': The verb 'to '''sue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> is derived from the French ''suivre'', 'to follow', originally the [[Latin]] ''sequor''. This is also the original [[etymological root|root]] of 'to '''prosecute'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (usually) 'to undertake [officially] a court action against someone for breaking the criminal law'; but also 'to follow up', 'to carry on', as in 'to prosecute inquiries' (~ 'to continue an investigation') or ' to prosecute one's business', and 'to '''pursue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>.
 [[category:typos]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The [[verb]]s to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are [[homophones]], with each other and with the common [[adverb]]/[[conjunction]] '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless typing error or poor knowledge of spelling. Furthermore, neither should be confused with the near homophone '''sue'''; and, in an extra complication, there are [[homograph]]s of both verbs.
+The [[verb]]s to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are [[homophones]], with each other and with the common [[adverb]]/[[conjunction]] '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless typing error or poor knowledge of spelling. Furthermore, neither should be confused with the near homophone '''sue'''; and, in an extra complication, there are [[homograph]]s of both verbs. (You may like to see also [[Sewer - sower]].)
-*'To '''sew'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (pronounced like 'sao') is 'to join things, usually cloth, leather or similar soft materials, together by passing thread or some other cords through holes in the material.' '''Sewing''' is the most basic form of needlework.
+*'To '''sew'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (pronounced like 'so') is 'to join things, usually cloth, leather or similar soft materials, together by passing thread or some other cords through holes in the material.' '''Sewing''' is the most basic form of needlework.
 **All the [[homograph]]s (''[[OED]]'' lists 5 [[verb]]s, 2 [[noun]]s and an [[adjective]], with a variety of pronunciations) of this word are recorded as obsolete, or merely [[dialect]]. Unless you are studying history, or older literature, you will not need them; and if you are studying such things, you should be used to using a good [[dictionary]]. Two of the verbs give rise to different forms of [[sewer - sower]], of which one homograph is obsolete.
 *'To '''sow'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (again sounding exactly the same as  'so') is 'to scatter seed (or sometimes place it very carefully) so that it may begin to grow into a useful crop'.
 **Of its several [[homograph]]s, the only one current in academic English is the [[noun]] 'a '''sow'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>. This word rhymes with 'now' and 'how', and means 'a female pig'.
 *'''Sue''' represents two words.
-**As a [[proper noun]], with a capital letter ('''S'''ue), it is the short form of the woman's name Susan;.
+**As a [[proper noun]], with a capital letter ('''S'''ue), it is the short form of the woman's name Susan.
 **As a [[verb]], it means 'to seek', or 'to try to negotiate for'. It is mostly used in the specific legal sense of 'to start proceedings in forecourts in order to assert a claim, or ask for compensation'. A legal action of this sort is called a '''suit''', or '''lawsuit'''. One can '''sue''' <u>somebody</u>: in this construction, there is no need to say what for. The assumption is that it is for compensation (for a perceived injury). One can also '''sue '''[either [[intransitive]]ly or with a person's name]''' for''' something, such as money or a ruling of some kind - perhaps a court order to stop some behaviour seen as a nuisance, or an infringement of peace or privacy.
 **You may come across two rather more old-fashioned uses:
-***To '''sue for''' peace, in older histories, was to open negotiations to end a war.
+***To '''sue for''' peace, in older histories, was to open negotiations to end a war. In individual combat, a losing fighter might sue for mercy - ask that he be allowed to surrender, rather than being killed.
 ***To '''sue''' <u>for [a woman's] hand</u> was to ask a woman to marry [sometimes her father for permission to]. This gave rise to the [[noun]] '''suitor''', to mean a man who was courting a woman.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ***To '''sue''' <u>for [a woman's] hand</u> was to ask a woman to marry [sometimes her father for permission to]. This gave rise to the [[noun]] '''suitor''', to mean a man who was courting a woman.
-::'''''[[etymology|Etymological]] note''''': The verb 'to '''sue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> is derived from the French ''suivre'', 'to follow', originally the [[Latin]] ''sequor''. This is also the original [[etymological root|root]] of 'to '''prosecute'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (usually) 'to undertake [officially] an court action against someone for breaking the criminal law'; but also 'to follow up', 'to carry on', as in 'to prosecute inquiries' (~ 'to continue an investigation'), or ' to prosecute one's business') and 'to '''pursue'''.
+::'''''[[etymology|Etymological]] note''''': The verb 'to '''sue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> is derived from the French ''suivre'', 'to follow', originally the [[Latin]] ''sequor''. This is also the original [[etymological root|root]] of 'to '''prosecute'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (usually) 'to undertake [officially] an court action against someone for breaking the criminal law'; but also 'to follow up', 'to carry on', as in 'to prosecute inquiries' (~ 'to continue an investigation'), or ' to prosecute one's business') and 'to '''pursue'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>.
 [[category:typos]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The [[verb]]s to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are [[homophones]], with each other and with the common [[adverb]]/[[conjunction]] '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless typing error or por knowledge of spelling. Furthermore, neither should be confused with the near homophone '''sue'''; and, in an extra complication, there are [[homograph]]s of both verbs.
+The [[verb]]s to '''sew''' and to '''sow''' are [[homophones]], with each other and with the common [[adverb]]/[[conjunction]] '''so'''. They should not be confused, either by a careless typing error or poor knowledge of spelling. Furthermore, neither should be confused with the near homophone '''sue'''; and, in an extra complication, there are [[homograph]]s of both verbs.
 *'To '''sew'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> (pronounced like 'sao') is 'to join things, usually cloth, leather or similar soft materials, together by passing thread or some other cords through holes in the material.' '''Sewing''' is the most basic form of needlework.
 **All the [[homograph]]s (''[[OED]]'' lists 5 [[verb]]s, 2 [[noun]]s and an [[adjective]], with a variety of pronunciations) of this word are recorded as obsolete, or merely [[dialect]]. Unless you are studying history, or older literature, you will not need them; and if you are studying such things, you should be used to using a good [[dictionary]]. Two of the verbs give rise to different forms of [[sewer - sower]], of which one homograph is obsolete.