Six Shades of True

Six Shades of True Six Shades of True Six Shades of True By Maeve Maddox Our word true is one of the oldest in the language. It may derive from a Proto-Indo-European word for tree. A well-rooted tree is strong, steadfast and firm. By the time the word entered Old English as triewe, it had acquired the meaning â€Å"faithful† or â€Å"trustworthy.† New connotations continued to attach to true. The sense â€Å"consistent with fact† dates from about 1200. The meaning â€Å"real, genuine, not counterfeit† is from late 14th century. About 1550 it took on the sense of â€Å"agreeing with a certain standard,† and by late 1500s it could mean â€Å"accurately fitted or shaped.† In modern usage, true has at least six shades of meaning. Here are some examples from the web, together with a few synonyms that might convey the intended meaning more precisely. 1. Is it true what they say about the Moto G? Meaning: correct, accurate, right, verifiable, well-documented, factual 2. This is why, with true musicianship in mind, I rarely touch the piano in my classroom. Meaning: genuine, authentic, real, actual 3. An Australian forklift driver who some historians argued was the true heir to the British throne has died in the small New South Wales town he called home. Meaning: rightful, legitimate, legal, lawful, authorized 4. A true friendhas your very best interests at heart. Meaning: loyal, faithful, constant, devoted, staunch trustworthy, reliable, dependable 5. The costume historian views the history of clothing as a true reflection of culture Meaning: accurate, true to life, faithful, factual, realistic 6. True repentance is always characterized by at least three things Meaning: sincere, genuine, real, unfeigned, heartfelt Then again, true might be exactly the word you want. Here are some idioms that contain the word true: true as steel: loyal and dependable true colors: personality traits often concealed by one’s day-to-day behavior true love: love that does not alter when it alteration finds ring true: to sound likely (like the intended tone of a bell that has been cast properly) tried and true: worthy of trust because of previous dependability true up: straighten something true to form: according to pattern or previous behavior true-blue: totally dependable at all times 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know"Replacement for" and "replacement of"The "Pied" in The Pied Piper