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Gormless

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  • 17-05-2007 1:34pm
    #1
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭


    How come there is a gormless, but not a gormfull? what does gorm mean, does anyone know? I know there are a few other examples of words which seem to be negative versions of a positive word, but the positive form isn't in usage - sorry I can't think of any examples off the top of my head - is there a name for this phenomenon?


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    #2
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    This might explain it.

    It's like how you can be underwhelmed and overwhelmed, but never just whelmed! :D


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    #3
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    Faith wrote:
    This might explain it.

    It's like how you can be underwhelmed and overwhelmed, but never just whelmed! :D

    Thank You!

    I've been trying to explain this for years, but could never think of an example!

    edit: P G Wodehouse’s “I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled”

    Funnily enough, this is what started me thinking about this subject a few years back. Gotta love those books.


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