Re: Befriend

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:30:07 +0100, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)"
<mail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:26:31 +0100, Ian Jackson
<ianREMOVETHISjackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In message <grvtvq$rp6$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, James Silverton
<not.jim.silverton@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes
Hello All!

Have people noticed the currently common newspaper use of "befriend" to
simply mean make or become friends with?

The OED listed meanings are

1. trans. To act as a friend to, to help, favour; to assist, promote,
further.
2. spec. of a Samaritan (sense c): to (set out to) give the
companionship and support of a friend to (a client), esp. in a lay
capacity; also absol. and transf. in other areas of social work.

It's normal BrE to me. In fact, that's the normal meaning - "to
make/become friends with".

Interesting.

Maybe I've not been paying attention. To me it still has the OED
meanings, particularly 2.

I (BrE also) agree with Peter. I'd say that it's used here almost
exclusively with the OED 2 meaning.

--

Katy Jennison

spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Befriend
    ... "befriend" to simply mean make or become friends with? ... "to make/become friends with". ... OED meanings, particularly 2. ... there is condescension involved it is not true charitable befriending, ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Befriend
    ... "befriend" to simply mean make or become friends with? ... "to make/become friends with". ... OED meanings, particularly 2. ... there is condescension involved it is not true charitable befriending, ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Befriend
    ... Have people noticed the currently common newspaper use of "befriend" to ... The OED listed meanings are ... make/become friends with". ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: term for similarly-spelled words
    ... and locutionary similarity was not a consideration? ... already knows (that's why they're 'friends') and yet do not have the ... The fact that some false friends are cognates while others aren't ... where the meanings of the word ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Pseudo-cognates?
    ... but that cause confusion because their meanings are different. ... What the OP is asking about is words that *appear* to be false friends ... But its meaning as used in French isn't "smoking". ... Vincent Cassel, tells Tess, played by Julia Roberts, who in the film ...
    (sci.lang)