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abed

gaer

Senior Member
US-English
A couple of us had a question about this word. I've never seen it or heard it. It apparently means "in bed".

MW has an entry and does not mark it as archaic. Cambridge has no entry for the word. Has anyone here heard this word used in conversation? Or used it?

Has anyone seen the word in print?

Gaer
gaer said:
A couple of us had a question about this word. I've never seen it or heard it. It apparently means "in bed".

MW has an entry and does not mark it as archaic. Cambridge has no entry for the word. Has anyone here heard this word used in conversation? Or used it?

Has anyone seen the word in print?

Gaer

I've read it (can't remember where), never heard it. It does mean "in bed".It sounds like Shakespearean English to me.
timpeac said:
I've read it (can't remember where), never heard it. It does mean "in bed".It sounds like Shakespearean English to me.
That was my impression to. It's very strange that MW did not mark it as "archaic".

Gaer
gaer said:
That was my impression to. It's very strange that MW did not mark it as "archaic".

Gaer

Yes, I agree.
timpeac said:
Yes, I agree.
I asked because I'm always cautious. This word COULD be used somewhere, regionally. I don't think so, but we won't know for sure unless we get other imput from various parts of the world. 👁 Smile :)
gaer said:
I asked because I'm always cautious. This word COULD be used somewhere, regionally. I don't think so, but we won't know for sure unless we get other imput from various parts of the world. 👁 Smile :)

Oh, only a few posts, Gaer. Well, it can be unusual, but even the WR dictionary doesn't indicate it as archaic.
That's interesting. I was recently playing at a computer game named Text Twist, in which you have to find all possible words with six random letters, and the word abed, which I've never heard before, keep popping out even though some better known words weren't accepted. At least now I know what it means. Thanx!
"abed" means in bed. IIRC, it usually means someone being in bed during an illness and may have passed out of common usage.

example: Thomas has been abed for a fortnight

meaning "Thomas has been in bed for two weeks"

Jenn
JennR said:
"abed" means in bed. IIRC, it usually means someone being in bed during an illness and may have passed out of common usage.

example: Thomas has been abed for a fortnight

meaning "Thomas has been in bed for two weeks"

Jenn

What's IIRC?

I would say that there's no "may" about it!! The sentence sounds very strange to me.

I know - lets wait a day and if no one from any English speaking part of the world owns up to saying it I think we can safely assume it has passed into the realm of "archaic"...
gaer said:
A couple of us had a question about this word. I've never seen it or heard it. It apparently means "in bed".

MW has an entry and does not mark it as archaic. Cambridge has no entry for the word. Has anyone here heard this word used in conversation? Or used it?

Has anyone seen the word in print?

Gaer

I've seen it in books but have not heard it used in conversations. Here's what the oed.com says:

abed, adv.
1. In bed. Somewhat arch.
c1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvii. 34 On ære nihte beo tween on bedde. 1205 LAYAMON 15706 Ich wæs on bedde. [later text Ich was abedde.]1297R. GLOUC. 547 To habbe inome hom vnarmed, & some abedde aslepe. 1377LANGL. P. Pl. B. v. 417 And ligge abedde in lenten, and my lemman in myn armes. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars 20 They came sodeinly to Sandwych in the mornynge, when men wære a bede. 1604SHAKES. Oth. III. i. 33 You haue not bin a-bed then?1605 Macb. II. i. 12 The King's a bed.1684BUNYAN Pilg. II. 77 We need not, when a-bed, lie awake.1762HUME Hist. Eng. IV. lix. 573 (1806) The princess Henrietta was obliged to lie a-bed for want of a fire to warm her. 1876SMILES Scotch Naturalist ii. 30 (ed. 4) The lights were out, and all were thought to be abed.

2. Confined to bed (by illness); laid up.
1660 PEPYS Diary (1879) I. 151 Our wench very lame, abed these two days. 1761SMOLLETT Gil Blas I. I. x. 51 (1802) A violent fit of the gout and rheumatism, that kept him a-bed.1873W. H. DIXON Two Queens III. xv. ix. 182 Louis being abed with gout, and otherwise broken in his health.

3. to bring a-bed: to deliver of a child; gen. in passive, to be brought a-bed, now to bed. Also fig. to deliver one of a subject, draw out. Obs.
1523LD. BERNERS Froissart I. cxlvii. 176 The quene was brought a bedde of a fayre lady named Margarete. 1572B. GOOGE Husbandrie (1586) 43b, The recording hereof is my great joye; for in talking of these matters you bring me a bedde. 1580NORTH Plutarch (1676) 34 To go her full time, and to be brought abed in good order. 1610G. FLETCHER Christ's Vict. I. 50 Upon her breast Delight doth softly sleep, And of Eternal joy is brought abed.
whodunit said:
Oh, only a few posts, Gaer. Well, it can be unusual, but even the WR dictionary doesn't indicate it as archaic.
Well, there have been a few more posts, and perhaps we will see more. So far I think everyone agrees that it is unusul, at least. As you know, Leo marks it as archaic, and the fact that Cambridge does not even list it is pretty strong evidence that it is not used very often.

Gaer
gaer said:
Well, there have been a few more posts, and perhaps we will see more. So far I think everyone agrees that it is unusul, at least. As you know, Leo marks it as archaic, and the fact that Cambridge does not even list it is pretty strong evidence that it is not used very often.

Gaer

Yes, you're right. This thread is growing very slowly. Leo marked it but not WordReference. We could ask Mike, what do you think?
whodunit said:
Yes, you're right. This thread is growing very slowly. Leo marked it but not WordReference. We could ask Mike, what do you think?
I'm not sure what your mean? Do you mean it's not in WordReference?

Gaer
I've read it in books, but never heard it or used it in conversation. However, the letter 'a' is used as a prefix for a lot of words.


My Webster's lists the prefix 'a' as follows:

a-2 pref. [ME < OE < an, on. ]
1.) On : in < abed >
2.) In the act of < aborning >
3.) In the direction of < astern >
4.) In a specified state or condition < abloom > < abuzz >



I found it ironic that it used "abed" as one of the examples! 👁 Stick Out Tongue :p


Forging ahead, to abet and address this discussion afresh , it's just about amazing, if you tear the words asunder, the examples that abound with abandon! (*I'm not really sure if words can abound with reckless enthusiasm, but it was fun saying it! 👁 Big Grin :D
)

My opinion is that "abed" would be archaic, but my dictionary does not agree. 👁 Confused :confused:
👁 Big Grin :D


Sharon.👁 Smile :)


abed
adverb archaic in bed.
ORIGIN Middle English: from a-2
in, on + bed.


Gaer, just in case don't use it... 👁 Big Grin :D
JennR said:
I would definitely say that it is archaic. 👁 Smile :-)


IIRC = if I recall correctly.

I would say it is archic in as much as it is not used now. Its similar to "anew". "We will rise anew". I'm sure "aboard" is in the same vein but it is still used today.
Ahoy thar maties! Come aboard and about face! The captain's abed a fortnight, around about thar. And the aforementioned is beholden to yee awaiting the greetings that will abound.

Just for fun. Abed sounds archaic to me 👁 Smile :)
.
CubaCelt said:
I would say it is archic in as much as it is not used now. Its similar to "anew". "We will rise anew". I'm sure "aboard" is in the same vein but it is still used today.

I read 'anew', too. Is it archaic? My dictionary doesn't agree it is. WordReference doesn't also say it's archaic.
It is not an archaic term. Abed means "in bed" = Acostado, en cama, the Webster's New World has it.
whodunit said:
I read 'anew', too. Is it archaic? My dictionary doesn't agree it is. WordReference doesn't also say it's archaic.

Whodunit, this is what the whole thread has been about.

In all this time there has not been a single native speaker who would say they actively use this word. I think we can safely categorise this word as archaic whatever your dictionary says. Do not place too much faith in dictionaries, they are often riddled with errors. Even our very own WR may contain one or two... Yes, I would say let Mike know.
Narda said:
It is not an archaic term. Abed means "in bed" = Acostado, en cama, the Webster's New World has it.

It certainly does mean "in bed". But on what argument do you claim it is not archaic?
timpeac said:
Whodunit, this is what the whole thread has been about.

In all this time there has not been a single native speaker who would say they actively use this word. I think we can safely categorise this word as archaic whatever your dictionary says. Do not place too much faith in dictionaries, they are often riddled with errors. Even our very own WR may contain one or two... Yes, I would say let Mike know.

We were talking about . But I asked for . Is there a difference between them how often their are used?
Narda said:
It is not an archaic term. Abed means "in bed" = Acostado, en cama, the Webster's New World has it.

I don't care if you find this word in 1,000 dictionaries, the consensus here is that it is NOT normally used. 👁 Smile :)
whodunit said:
We were talking about . But I asked for . Is there a difference between them how often their are used?

Whodunit - I apologise, I misread your post👁 Eek! :o


Yes, I thought the same thing. "anew" isn't common, but I wouldn't describe it as archaic. Apart from anything else the phrase "to start anew" is quite common.

I wouldn't use the word myself, but would definitely say "to start anew".
whodunit said:
It IS mentioned in WR dictionary, but not as ARCHAIC. Did you understand now? 👁 Smile :)
The word "archaic" is used inconsistently, I think. The point is that if you tell someone that you are still "abed", they are going to give you some VERY strange looks. 👁 Smile :)


Gaer
timpeac said:
Whodunit - I apologise, I misread your post👁 Eek! :o


Yes, I thought the same thing. "anew" isn't common, but I wouldn't describe it as archaic. Apart from anything else the phrase "to start anew" is quite common.

I wouldn't use the word myself, but would definitely say "to start anew".
Exactly. It's a bit formal, but it is DEFINITELY used. We seem to have a problem with the word "archaic". None of us seems to be quite sure what dictionaries are using for a definition of this word.
gaer said:
Exactly. It's a bit formal, but it is DEFINITELY used. We seem to have a problem with the word "archaic". None of us seems to be quite sure what dictionaries are using for a definition of this word.
Hi gaer;
Just lookie what I found here...
From the--The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
ar·cha·ic (är-kk) also ar·cha·i·cal (--kl)
adj.
  1. also Archaic Of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization: an archaic bronze statuette; Archaic Greece.
  2. No longer current or applicable; antiquated: archaic laws. See Synonyms at old.
  3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of words and language that were once in regular use but are now relatively rare and suggestive of an earlier style or period
So abed..in my opinion ...would be archaic...if you wish to go by this definition of archaic...
As for anew..it is used here...not often..but used all the same...

te gato👁 Wink ;)
te gato said:
Hi gaer;
Just lookie what I found here...
From the--The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
ar·cha·ic (är-kk) also ar·cha·i·cal (--kl)
adj.
  1. also Archaic Of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization: an archaic bronze statuette; Archaic Greece.
  2. No longer current or applicable; antiquated: archaic laws. See Synonyms at old.
  3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of words and language that were once in regular use but are now relatively rare and suggestive of an earlier style or period
So abed..in my opinion ...would be archaic...if you wish to go by this definition of archaic...
As for anew..it is used here...not often..but used all the same...

te gato👁 Wink ;)
Bingo! We already knew this, but I think the dictionaries mentioned are extremely unclear about "abed". This is why I will always trust a group of native speakers over a dictionary. 👁 Smile :)


G
timpeac said:
Whodunit - I apologise, I misread your post👁 Eek! :o


Yes, I thought the same thing. "anew" isn't common, but I wouldn't describe it as archaic. Apart from anything else the phrase "to start anew" is quite common.

I wouldn't use the word myself, but would definitely say "to start anew".

Would you appreciate this sentence then?

"I fell in love anew with XXX." or is there any better expression?
whodunit said:
Would you appreciate this sentence then?

"I fell in love anew with XXX." or is there any better expression?

You could say it, but simply "again" is much more common.
gaer said:
Bingo! We already knew this, but I think the dictionaries mentioned are extremely unclear about "abed". This is why I will always trust a group of native speakers over a dictionary. 👁 Smile :)


G

Yes gaer;

I agree also...BUT...the native speakers might not speak the same native tongue....Words that you use I might use differently... the meaning might be the same..but we use it differently...

te gato👁 Wink ;)
te gato said:
Yes gaer;

I agree also...BUT...the native speakers might not speak the same native tongue....Words that you use I might use differently... the meaning might be the same..but we use it differently...

te gato👁 Wink ;)
"Native speakers" means to me people who speak English as their primary language. So I don't see how native speakers could speak a different native tongue. You lost me there, but I have been confused all day. 👁 Smile :)


My thought is that getting opinions from people all over the world—whose first language is English—should give us more clarity, not less. No, that's not good. A wider view is what I mean. Oh shoot, time to go to bed. I'm babbling. LONG day. 👁 Frown :(


Gaer
We have available perhaps the largest collection of English writing ever in existence and using Google we can easily search it for things like ''abed''.

Just searching on ''abed'', one gets mostly things like:

Yasser Abed Rabbo (Abu Bashar)
Cyber encyclopedia of Jewish history and culture that covers everything from anti-Semitism to Zionism. It includes a glossary, bibliography of web sites and ...

So I tried ''he is abed'' and found 61 hits. Most seem to be from old writings but also found this which looks recent.

Diary 2000/10
... M+J phone up to wish D happy b'day but only after he is abed. Later, Andrea phones up from hospital and sounds very well. All seems well with Niamh too. ...

For "she is abed" I got only 13 hits. Again mostly from old literature, but also I found this jewel:


... She is abed by 10 pm each evening, washes regularly, and never goes near a computer. Scene 2. The student is introduced to the lewd world of computers. ..

Searching on "I was abed" I got 216 hits. Here's one of those that is of recent origin:

Dean's World - December 7, 1941
... I was abed with a cold that early that Sunday afternoon, at the northside Chicago apartment where our family lived, when word spread via broadcast radio ...

Also Google keeps asking "Do you mean a bed?" And searching on "he is a bed", I got a lot of things like:

He is a bed wetter and will turn 7 on Easter Sunday. Is bed wetting common?
He also suppresses a lot of anger and when it’s time to let it out, ...

To see what 28 online dictionaries have to say about ''abed'' go to One Look Dictionary Search for ''abed''
Not to be a pain, but I still use the word "abed" quite frequently, especially with the phrase "to lie abed": "She does nothing but lie abed all day long."

It sounds perfectly natural to me, and I do use it in everyday speech.

I never realized it was out of regular use before this!

"To start anew" - very much akin to "To start afresh" - do you (foreros) use this expresion too?

~Lainyn
lainyn said:
Not to be a pain, but I still use the word "abed" quite frequently, especially with the phrase "to lie abed": "She does nothing but lie abed all day long."

It sounds perfectly natural to me, and I do use it in everyday speech.

I never realized it was out of regular use before this!

"To start anew" - very much akin to "To start afresh" - do you (foreros) use this expresion too?

~Lainyn

Lying abed and starting anew both sound fine to me. To tell the truth I don't know whether or not I might say them.
lainyn said:
Not to be a pain, but I still use the word "abed" quite frequently, especially with the phrase "to lie abed": "She does nothing but lie abed all day long."

It sounds perfectly natural to me, and I do use it in everyday speech.

I never realized it was out of regular use before this!

"To start anew" - very much akin to "To start afresh" - do you (foreros) use this expresion too?

~Lainyn
NOT a pain. This is why we START these discussions! If you use it, it's current. It's as simple as that. And if it is used by you and others, than it's not archaic. So MW is right, which actually makes me feel very good, since I particularly like this source!

My point is that saying it is listed in a dictionary, even 50 dictionaries, is not ncessarily a help. But the fact that people report using a word is. 👁 Smile :)


Now I have to apologize to everyone for being so sure that it is not used. 👁 Smile :)


Gaer
Edwin said:
Lying abed and starting anew both sound fine to me. To tell the truth I don't know whether or not I might say them.
I understand both, but "abed" I only recognize from context. I would still recommend to people learning English that "in bed" would probably be a better phrase to learn, more useful, more common, but about everything else I was quite obviously wrong.

As I've said many times, I learn A LOT about English here! 👁 Smile :)


Gaer
Gaer, I am pretty sure I have never heard or used abed. I had to look it up. So, there were at least two of us who learned something new! 👁 Smile :)
I'm sure I've always known the word abed, but it's not one I would use frequently.

You might use it in a facetious way, saying something like "Once the kids are finally abed, Mum and Dad can relax". But really I'd spontaneously say "in bed".
mirandolina said:
I'm sure I've always known the word abed, but it's not one I would use frequently.

You might use it in a facetious way, saying something like "Once the kids are finally abed, Mum and Dad can relax". But really I'd spontaneously say "in bed".
But Lainyn says she uses it frequently, and even one "yes vote" is important in such a small sampling. We always have to keep in mind how many people speak English, and in how many different places. It's the richness of the language that I think makes it so fascinating. 👁 Smile :)


Gaer
Besides my being Canadian, there's also the fact that I didn't learn a lot of the words I use from spoken language - as I child I was very, very bookish, and so my vocabulary may seem a bit odd. Not only that, I've been known to mispronounce words because I'd only ever read them.

And I quite agree with you in that last point, Gaer 👁 Smile :-)
.

~Lainyn
lainyn said:
Besides my being Canadian, there's also the fact that I didn't learn a lot of the words I use from spoken language - as I child I was very, very bookish, and so my vocabulary may seem a bit odd. Not only that, I've been known to mispronounce words because I'd only ever read them.

And I quite agree with you in that last point, Gaer 👁 Smile :-)
.

~Lainyn
Well, we can't hear you talk, but "bookish" could mean many things. It could also mean that your use of words is sophisticated. As for mispronouncing words, there are many words I've read countless times but have never heard. Sometimes, when I do hear them, I am quite surprised at the pronunciation. 👁 Smile :)


Gaer
What shall keep you from taking another abed?
A priest is listening to a confession in which a man says he has slept with many women outside the marital bed. What does mean abed in this sense? Can it be behaviour? The man answers that he is too weak.
Many thanks
What shall keep you from taking another abed?
A priest is listening to a confession in which a man says he has slept with many women outside the marital bed. What does mean abed in this sense? Can it be behaviour? The man answers that he is too weak.
Many thanks

No, nothing to do with behaviour. It just means "to bed".
Here too the English sounds a bit archaic.
Anyway, the priest means, if I give you absolution for this adulterous behaviour, what is to stop you going straight out and sinning again?
Thanks, Mirandolina. Now I understand the sentence.
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