the meaning behind the word

catian · Feb 23, 2012

I call them 'suggestive words'.
'To move on' for example is a tricky one.
Does it hold a postive 'aftersense', a negative one or neither or both?
In other words, is sufficient to just say

''He has moved on.''

and assume that one understands it to be a positive meaning behind it?

As oppose to saying:

'He has now found his feet and is happily settled in his new life.'

Bufty · Feb 23, 2012

It's not tricky at all. And it's an expression -not a word.

Context is everything.

To say someone has 'moved on' means they have decided to cease worrying about whoever/whatever it is that has been worrying/concerning/stressing/troubling them and get on with their life.

Forgive me asking, but do you ask all these questions because English is not your first language?

I ask because your profile reveals little but I see from another post you are 'a French and Spanish teacher'.

HoneyBadger · Feb 23, 2012

What Bufty said.

Also I would encourage you to check out some of the idiom and etymology sites (unless you have an OED handy), but I think I'd rather encourage you to just write.

bonitakale · Feb 23, 2012

Positive: Six months after Carl dumped her, she'd moved on with her life.

Negative: Why was she bringing up Mary? He'd killed her and moved on--she was in the past.

Deleted member 42 · Feb 23, 2012

Look up the words connotation and denotation.

These are two features built into all human languages we know of, ever.

catian · Feb 23, 2012

Bufty said:
It's not tricky at all. And it's an expression -not a word.

Context is everything.

To say someone has 'moved on' means they have decided to cease worrying about whoever/whatever it is that has been worrying/concerning/stressing/troubling them and get on with their life.

Forgive me asking, but do you ask all these questions because English is not your first language?

I ask because your profile reveals little but I see from another post you are 'a French and Spanish teacher'.

Hi Bufty
Thank you for your post.
Indeed English is not my first language and yes I am a French and Spanish teacher by trade.

ArtsyAmy · Feb 24, 2012

I'm with Bonita on this--"He has moved on" could have positive or negative connotations.

That scoundrel of a salesman cheated all the townspeople out of their money, and now "he has moved on" to the next town. (Now he's going to cheat the people in the second town.)

The old man no longer spends all his time being bitter over being cheated by that scoundrel; "he has moved on" and now prays for the man who stole from him.

I think the second (positive) use may seen and heard more often these days than it was a couple of decades ago, at least I seem to see/hear it more often.

Detri Redmond · Feb 24, 2012

When I read "He has moved on." my first thought was that the person was deceased. Although the op may have not meant this the way I took it I will agree with Bufty and say that context is everything.

catian · Feb 24, 2012

Detri Redmond said:
When I read "He has moved on." my first thought was that the person was deceased. Although the op may have not meant this the way I took it I will agree with Bufty and say that context is everything.

what made you think the way you thought if I may ask?

Detri Redmond · Feb 24, 2012

It's one of those expressions that can mean more than one thing depending on the situation.

"Where's that crazy brother of yours now a days?"
"He has moved on." she said as her smile became one of memories lost trinkets.

"So is Dan still a little down about Rachael?"
"He has moved on" he said pointing at the picture of Dan and his new love.

the meaning behind the word

catian

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

HoneyBadger

terribly loud, emotionally distant

bonitakale

Deleted member 42

catian

ArtsyAmy

Detri Redmond

Apprentice Wordslinger

catian

Detri Redmond

Apprentice Wordslinger