Friday, November 8, 2019
Betters and Bettors
Betters and Bettors Betters and Bettors Betters and Bettors By Mark Nichol Is there a connection between better, which is sometimes employed as a noun, among other parts of speech, and the noun bettor? This post explains their etymological origins and lists and defines related words. Better is primarily an adjective, from Old English bettra (and, previously, betera), meaning ââ¬Å"superior.â⬠It can also mean ââ¬Å"more advantageous or favorable,â⬠ââ¬Å"improved,â⬠or ââ¬Å"greater than halfâ⬠(as in ââ¬Å"the better part of an hourâ⬠). The adjective better pertains to doing something to a greater degree or with higher quality or can replace more (ââ¬Å"She was doing better than twenty miles per hourâ⬠) or preferably (ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s better left where it isâ⬠). As a verb, better means ââ¬Å"make more acceptable or completeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"improve onâ⬠(as in ââ¬Å"The runner will try to better his personal record in the eventâ⬠). It also serves as an auxiliary verb, one that supports another verb, as in ââ¬Å"You had better get going,â⬠sometimes with the first verb elided. The noun better means ââ¬Å"advantageâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t let him get the better of youâ⬠), ââ¬Å"something superiorâ⬠(ââ¬Å"We expected better of herâ⬠), or ââ¬Å"someone of higher rank or statusâ⬠(ââ¬Å"I was told to respect my bettersâ⬠). Better is also a variant of bettor, meaning ââ¬Å"someone who makes bets.â⬠The origin of bet, meaning ââ¬Å"wagerâ⬠(as a noun) or ââ¬Å"wageâ⬠(as a verb), is uncertain, but it could be from abet, meaning ââ¬Å"inciteâ⬠or ââ¬Å"urge on.â⬠More likely, however, it is from the obsolete English word beet, meaning ââ¬Å"make goodâ⬠and related to better. Either way, it began as criminal slang; the affirming phrase ââ¬Å"You betâ⬠(even more informally, ââ¬Å"You betchaâ⬠) is also slang, though not of unsavory origins. Two additional words based on better are betterment, meaning ââ¬Å"an act of becoming or making betterâ⬠or referring to an instance of property improvement, and the adjective bettermost, meaning ââ¬Å"superior.â⬠Better, however, generally suffices as a comparative that stands between good (which supplanted the Old English word bot, meaning ââ¬Å"advantageâ⬠) and the superlative best. (Bot does survive in the phrase ââ¬Å"to boot,â⬠meaning ââ¬Å"in addition.â⬠) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?50 Synonyms for ââ¬Å"Ideaâ⬠5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words
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