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Two questions

Posted by Smokey Stover on May 08, 2004

In Reply to: Two questions posted by Natty on May 08, 2004

: 1. What is the meaning of "I never could see myself that much was the matter with me" in the phrase:

: Many years ago, when I was a young man, I was taken very ill - I never could see myself that much was the matter with me, except that I had a beastly cold.

: 2. What is the meaning of the "-fied" suffix in:

: And twice a day I should go down in a Bath chair to the Colonnade to drink the waters... "Drinking the waters" sounded fashionable and Queen Anne-fied, and I thought I should like them.

: Thanks a lot!

1. I think that the writer is saying: "Although I was very sick, it did not appear to me that there was much wrong with me, aside from a nasty cold." His use of "myself" suggests that others (but not me) regarded me as very sick.
2. The suffix "-fied." I'm sorry, I'm too lazy to look this up right now, but it is usually used to signify "made" or "made up." Electrified=made electric, supplied with electricity. Countrified=made country-like, made to project a rural image. Petrified=made into stone, turned into stone. Speechified (humorous slang)=made speeches or made a speech. Vilified=made vile, made to seem vile, tried to make vile. Calcified=turned into calcium. This only works sometimes. Someone will be along in a minute to tell you what the reference works have to say. SS

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