Why do they say "That's awful" if the word "awful" is full of "awe" and "awe" means awe-mazing. So they're saying that something is full of "awe" which means its bad but "awe" means good, ya know?
by 
KiloWattKid
ANSWERS: 5
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good point the english language is wierd that way lol
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That's an awesome question. I've also heard it used in a positive way. "That was so awe-full" I guess it's a word that was lost in translation.
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well if you look at it another way, the emotion of awe could be seen as neither positive or negative, just something that sort of takes our breath away, gives us a shock. Whether it's a nice shock or a nasty shock comes later as we react to whatever it is that's causing it. So i would say that awe can be used to describe a negative response just as appropriately as a postive one.
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This is where awful comes from; I hope that it helps. awful c.1300, agheful, from aghe, an earlier form of awe. Replaced O.E. egefull. Slang intensive use of awful "exceedingly" is from 1818. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=awful&searchmode=none
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What about the sentence he is awfully smart for a young child.
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