Re: USAGE: I'd rather (was: Re: Journalists)

If memory serves (I'm too lazy to check my Shorter OED just now), "rather"
is an old comparative form whose base (rath-) meant 'soon'-- thus the
near-synonymous "(I would ~I'd) sooner XXX(verb) than YYY(verb)"

Since these are equivalent to "prefer", IMO the underlying verb has to be
"would" (as old past or subj. of "will" I.e. to want) rather than
"have/had". "I had better ~I better had..." may be back-formed from the
confusing contraction "I'd".

Recall Latin _malo:_ 'I prefer', which I believe is supposed to be a
contraction of "magis volo:" 'I more want...'

IIRC the nearest equiv. to "prefer/would rather" in Indonesian is _lebih
suka_ 'more+like'

ObConlang: Kash lisam 'to like', redupl. lilisam 'really like, adore, dote
on'; apparent redupl. lalisam 'to prefer' but it's actually a contraction of
_lavi lisam_ 'more + like'. I wonder where I got that idea from :-)