Furtive

[Dr. Goodword]

• furtive •

Pronunciation: fêr-tiv • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Surreptitious, shifty, secretive, stealthy in an attempt to hide something.

Notes: The sound [fêr] is spelled several different ways in English: fur, fir and, in some dialects, for and far (neither of which we encourage). So, you must remember that this word begins with the word for soft animal hair. The adverb is furtively and the noun, furtiveness.

In Play: Today's Good Word may be used positively or negatively. Furtiveness can imply a cover-up of improper behavior: "Calvin worried about the furtive dealings between his friend, Murray, and a shady character he met at the race track." It may also imply the cover up of a perfectly innocent enterprise: "Mom noticed none of the furtive preparations for the surprise birthday party for her going on at the house."

Word History: This Good Word comes from our usual source of loan words, Latin furtivus "stolen, purloined", via French furtif (feminine furtive). The Latin adjective comes from furtum "theft", itself from fur "thief". No, this word has nothing to do with the fur trade but is related to Latin ferre "to carry", since thieves are known for carrying things off. The same original root, bher- "to carry", ended up in English as bear (the verb), burden, and birth. (There is nothing furtive in our gratitude to Lew Jury for suggesting today's solidly Good Word.)

[rrentner]

This word is related to Latin ferre "to carry", much like periphery (see that discussion, including an unanswered question about the PIE root behind ferry).
As with my question on periphery, I still remain curious about ferre's relationship with Latin ferrum "iron".
I wish I had access to an OED. Maybe that might help me.
Anyone?

[David Myer]

My Oxford Dictionary is at my holiday house which is currently off limits thanks to Covid lockdown. But my Australian Macquarie dictionary suggests that ferry is derived from fare presumably because you pay to go on a ferry. Indeed, maybe you pay a fare to be carried anywhere. The Macquarie doesn't go back to PIE, but suggests that fare is from Middle English fare(n) and Old English faran. Cognate with (related in origin to) the German 'fahren'.

This book also notes in meaning 8. for 'fare': Archaic. to go; to travel. And that meaning is of course still used in farewell.

It doesn't as far as I can see make any connection with iron.

I also note that a ferris wheel is nothing directly to do with iron or ferries, but is named after an American engineer, G.W.G.Ferris. Now, where he got his name from is another story. But I guess there will be a connection with all the Smiths and Farrers that we discussed at amusing length, as you say, under 'Periphery'.

It doesn't answer your excellent question, but...

[rrentner]

Thanks for your kind reply. Fare and ferry— that’s a very interesting and I must say surprising jump, one that had not occurred to me at all.
The name of Ferris I had heard. That story is interesting to me as well. I had previously presumed that Ferris wheels started as small diversions for children, and grew over the years in size, as technology improved. But as I recall Mr. Ferris built what is probably the largest wheel, holding scores of folks in each car, at the worlds fair, I think Chicago, as a first go. Carnivals have built smaller ones after that. I have yet to return to London since the great Eye there. Long overdue for a visit....

[Slava]

Here's what Etymonline has to say about ferry.

The fer of iron is not related, and of unknown origin, possibly Etruscan.

[Philip Hudson]

The Good Doctor says "---fur, fir and, in some dialects, for and far (neither of which we encourage)---" I agree with him IF you are not here in the hinterlands. I have probably posted my favorite Hinterland's quotation before but It is, "I dun druv uh fur piece n I haint et nutthin yit." Translated to standard English, "I have driven a long way and haven't eaten anything yet."

[Dr. Goodword]

I dun druv uh fur piece n I haint et nutthin yit.

brings back not-so-fond memories. In my childhood down in North Carolina I talked like that except I would have pronounced drove [drov] and would have left out done. This was a past tense marker in Black English of the day (40s-50s). Although I heard some white people using it, my folks didn't.

I took a drama course in high school with a teacher who used the latest technology: a tape recorder, a move up from the wire recorder. I listened to radio and thought I spoke just like everyone else. So, when I heard myself played back to me, I was astonished and embarrassed. I began working on my English the next day after a rough night's sleep.

Thanks, Philip, for reminding me how far I've come.

[Philip Hudson]

Dr. Goodword. Many of us have come a long way. At 83 I may have a few more good years for further progress. My recent ancestors almost all had very long lives. And I have never cast a furtive glance in all my born days .