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

On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:19:57 -0400, Roger Mills <rfmilly@...> wrote:

>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)"
>
Your memory serves you well - this is what the online American heritage
dictionary gave me:
***
[Middle English, from Old English hrathor comparative of hræthe, quickly,
soon, from hræth, quick.]

adverb

   1. More readily; preferably: I'd rather go to the movies.
   2. With more reason, logic, wisdom, or other justification.
   3. More exactly; more accurately: He's my friend, or rather he was my friend.
   4. To a certain extent; somewhat: rather cold.
   5. On the contrary.
   6. Chiefly British Most certainly. Used as an emphatic affirmative reply.

Usage Note: In expressions of preference rather is commonly preceded by
would: We would rather rent the house than buy it outright. In formal style,
should is sometimes used: I should rather my daughter attended a public
school. Sometimes had appears in these constructions, although this use of
had seems to be growing less frequent: I had rather work with William than
work for him. This usage was once widely criticized as a mistake, the result
of a misanalysis of the contraction in sentences such as I'd rather stay.
But it is in fact a survival of the subjunctive form had that appears in
constructions like had better and had best, as in We had better leave now.
This use of had goes back to Middle English and is perfectly acceptable.
Before an unmodified noun only rather a is used: It was rather a disaster.
When the noun is preceded by an adjective, however, both rather a and a
rather are found: It was rather a boring party. It was a rather boring
party. When a rather is used in this construction, rather qualifies only the
adjective, whereas with rather a it qualifies either the adjective or the
entire noun phrase. Thus a rather long ordeal can mean only “an ordeal that
is rather long,” whereas rather a long ordeal can also mean roughly “a long
process that is something of an ordeal.” Rather a is the only possible
choice when the adjective itself does not permit modification: The horse was
rather a long shot (not The horse was a rather long shot ).
[The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2005, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.]
***

They don't seem to address the usage of 'rather that X' which Carsten noted,
which I'd guess ot be an extension of 'would/had rather X'

obconlang I'd note that Scungric doesn't have a comparable construction as yet.

Bfowol
-----
I've learned from my mistakes and I'm sure I can repeat them exactly.
-- Peter Cook

Reply