The first “wind” is as in “I donned my wind-breaker because the weather was windy”. In this context, a “long-winded response” would be one in which the speaker had to inhale quite a bit to speak, a long wind!
The second “wind” is as in “I wound up the toy car and, when I released it, it zoomed all the way to the other side of the room”. In this context, a “long-winded response” is one that metaphorically winded the coils that make the speaker go.
The second “wind” is as in “I wound up the toy car and, when I released it, it zoomed all the way to the other side of the room”. In this context, a “long-winded response” is one that metaphorically winded the coils that make the speaker go.
The more primary meaning is this one (copied from Oxford Dictionary of English): move in or take a twisting or spiral course. The etymology of the verb 'wind' (also from ODE) is: Old English windan ‘go rapidly’, ‘twine’, of Germanic origin; related to wander and wend. Long-winded = the speaker's words/thoughts wander in circles for a long time.
The phrase "long-winded" could be reinterpreted as containing the non-standard past tense of the verb "to wind", "winded", and it would still make logical sense.
22 replies
I see what you mean, but if I were to nitpik, I'd say the past tense participle of "wind" is "wound", not "winded".
Thanks for pointing it out. I actually had the same question and…
Merriam-Webster says “wound” and “winded” are interchangeable: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wind
... That makes me viscerally uncomfortable, and I'm going to be putting it into my daily vocabulary.
TIL
They should add winderised too if they’re going to do that. (sample usage: me, just now)
Also, your username gave me flashbacks lol. I read it in Cuno's voice
Yea, think about that rabid Cuno shit
You sure about this?
I was quite sure when I originally posted.
Then someone said it’s “wound” and not “winded”, but the dictionary said either is fine.
Then you asked me if I was sure. And now I’m not so sure.
No need to get all wounded up, weather, it blows like the wind, or is winded like a clock.
The first “wind” is as in “I donned my wind-breaker because the weather was windy”. In this context, a “long-winded response” would be one in which the speaker had to inhale quite a bit to speak, a long wind!
The second “wind” is as in “I wound up the toy car and, when I released it, it zoomed all the way to the other side of the room”. In this context, a “long-winded response” is one that metaphorically winded the coils that make the speaker go.
The more primary meaning is this one (copied from Oxford Dictionary of English): move in or take a twisting or spiral course. The etymology of the verb 'wind' (also from ODE) is: Old English windan ‘go rapidly’, ‘twine’, of Germanic origin; related to wander and wend. Long-winded = the speaker's words/thoughts wander in circles for a long time.
Love it. Thanks for the research and for sharing it!
That's not what etymology is
Fair enough. I was trying to think of another way of saying what I mean and I can’t think of a punchy way of saying it. Do you have one in mind?
The phrase "long-winded" could be reinterpreted as containing the non-standard past tense of the verb "to wind", "winded", and it would still make logical sense.
Something like that.
You don't mean "etymological sense"; only one of these is the correct etymology
Fair enough. I can’t think of a punchy way of saying what I mean. Do you know what I mean? And how could I have said it?
I'd just leave the word out! Or maybe "kind of". Or "semantic" is an option but I'm not sure about it.
Wind as in the weather phenomenon.
It's pronounced "wind". Duh.
This is you standard high quality shower thought right here. I'm a big fan.