soon

soon
\ \ [OE] In Old English times, soon meant ‘straightaway’, but human nature being what it is, the tendency to procrastinate led over the centuries to a change in meaning to ‘after a short while’. (The same thing happened to anon, and is in the process of happening to directly.) The word itself comes from a prehistoric West Germanic *sǣnō, whose other descendants apart from soon have all but died out.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • soon — W1S1 [su:n] adv comparative sooner superlative soonest [: Old English; Origin: sona immediately ] 1.) in a short time from now, or a short time after something else happens ▪ It will be dark soon. ▪ David arrived sooner than I expected. soon… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Soon — (s[=oo]n), adv. [OE. sone, AS. s[=o]na; cf. OFries. s[=o]n, OS. s[=a]na, s[=a]no, OHG. s[=a]r, Goth. suns.] 1. In a short time; shortly after any time specified or supposed; as, soon after sunrise. Sooner said than done. Old Proverb. As soon as… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Soon at — Soon Soon (s[=oo]n), adv. [OE. sone, AS. s[=o]na; cf. OFries. s[=o]n, OS. s[=a]na, s[=a]no, OHG. s[=a]r, Goth. suns.] 1. In a short time; shortly after any time specified or supposed; as, soon after sunrise. Sooner said than done. Old Proverb. As …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • soon — [ sun ] adverb *** 1. ) within a short time from now: If we don t leave soon, we re going to miss our bus. Mom called and said she d be home soon. pretty soon: If he doesn t show up pretty soon, I m leaving. a ) after a short amount of time: soon …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Soon — may refer to: *Soon, something in the near future * Soon (song), song by George and Ira Gershwin from their 1927 musical Strike Up the Band * Soon , song by LeAnn Rimes from her 2001 album I Need You * Soon , a song by My Bloody Valentine from… …   Wikipedia

  • soon — [so͞on] adv. [ME sone < OE sona, at once, akin to OHG sān, Goth suns] 1. in a short time (after a time specified or understood); shortly; before long [will soon be there] 2. promptly; quickly [as soon as possible] 3. ahead of time; early [we… …   English World dictionary

  • Soon — Soon, a. Speedy; quick. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • SOON — Allgemeine Informationen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • soon — O.E. sona at once, immediately, from W.Gmc. *sæno (Cf. O.Fris. son, O.S. sana, O.H.G. san, Goth. suns soon ). Sense shifted early Middle English to within a short time through human nature (Cf. anon). American English. Sooner for Oklahoma native… …   Etymology dictionary

  • soon — ► ADVERB 1) in or after a short time. 2) early. 3) used to indicate a preference: I d just as soon Tim did it. ● no sooner than Cf. ↑no sooner than ● sooner or later Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • soon at — (Shakespeare) About • • • Main Entry: ↑soon …   Useful english dictionary

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