Thread: привязчивый

When I looked up "привязчивый", it said 1. affectionate, loving, and 2. captious, quarrelsome; given to pestering .


WTF?!

A word with two totally opposite meanings at the same time?!

So my question is..... how would you know when it means one, and when the other?

Привязаться от слова привязывать, буквально - to tie.

So this verb characterizes a bond (like being tied with the rope).
When it's said about any person it means literally he is stuck with you (some kind of bond is established between you and the person you're speaking). This bond may be either positive - Я очень привязался к этому человеку (I've become very attached to this person) or negative - Он ещё вчера ко мне привязался, никак не отстанет ~ Не keeps pestering me since yesterday.

So the meaning depens on whether the speaker likes it. So it depends on the context.

+1

Don't you say English is devoid of opposite meanings within one word.

Ooooh, I see. A bit of ethymology can do wonders sometimes Thanks, Ramil!



Тёма - touch

BTW, Ramil:

Originally Posted by Ramil

(like being tied with a rope)

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

BTW, Ramil:

Originally Posted by Ramil

(like being tied with a rope)

Yes, thanks.

It reminded me the word навязчивый, which leaves no doubts in its negative or unwanted meaning.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

BTW, Ramil:

Originally Posted by Ramil

(like being tied with a rope)

Yes, thanks.

"being tied with rope" (no article) is also OK here, perhaps even better.