Word Of The Day: abide & an excuse to post more pics of the house

When I read in my e-mail what the good word was I had to smile.  It is one I know well and see everyday. It also gave me a wonerful excuse to take some pictuers to post.  I have been meaning to take some for awhile and show off the decorating we have done since we moved last summer and I know some of my friends have asked me to show case some more of the new house.  So enjoy seeing where I "abide" and learning the true definition and history of today's word.

• abide •

Pronunciation: ê-baid • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, intransitive & transitive

Meaning: 1. (Intransitive) To live in the sense of dwell, to reside. 2. (Intransitive) To continue in existence, to exist unchanged in some state. 3. (Transitive) To tolerate, put up with, endure.

Notes: Historically the past participle of this word was abidden but the past participle assimilated with the past tense a century or so ago, so now this verb is conjugated abide, abode, (has) abode. However, since this latter form is now used for the noun (an abode), the verb seems to be converting to a regular verb: abide, abided, (has) abided. This trend will continue if this seldom used verb itself survives.

In Play: Today's poetic word has pretty much been replaced by the simpler verb (to) live in colloquial speech but remains for those unafraid of touching up their conversations with a bit of poetry: "How Lester can abide in such a hovel as he inhabits is beyond explication." The transitive sense of this verb is a more fetching substitute for stand or tolerate: "I simply cannot abide the skimpy skirts girls wear to school these days; I wish they would return to uniforms!"

Word History: Today's Good Word is a rarity, indeed: a genuine unborrowed English word. It came to us from the Old English verb abidan, comprising a-, an intensifier prefix + bidan "to remain". The same root that came through the Germanic languages to English as bidan emerged in Latin as fidere "to trust, confide" and fidus "faithful (remain unchanged)". Words with the Latin root were borrowed en mass by English in words like fiancé, affidavit, fiduciary, and confide. (We simply could not abide forgetting to thank Jaime Jamison for suggesting today's Good Word.)

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.