different between common vs middling

English

Etymology

From Middle English comun, from Anglo-Norman comun, from Old French comun (rare in the Gallo-Romance languages, but reinforced as a Carolingian calque of Proto-West Germanic *gemeini, gamaini (“common”) in Old French), from Latin comm?nis (“common, public, general”), from Proto-Indo-European *?om-moy-ni- (“held in common”). Displaced native Middle English imene, ?em?ne (“common, general, universal”) (from Old English ?em?ne (“common, universal”)), Middle English mene, m?ne (“mean, common”) (also from Old English ?em?ne (“common, universal”)), Middle English samen, somen (“in common, together”) (from Old English samen (“together”)). Doublet of gmina.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: k?m'?n, IPA^(key): /?k?m?n/
• (General American) enPR: k?m'?n, IPA^(key): /?k?m?n/
• (obsolete) enPR: k?m'?n, IPA^(key): /?k?m?n/
• Rhymes: -?m?n
• Hyphenation: com?mon

Adjective

common (comparative commoner or more common, superlative commonest or most common)

1. Mutual; shared by more than one.

2. Occurring or happening regularly or frequently; usual.

3. Found in large numbers or in a large quantity; usual.

   ' Commoner' used to be commoner, but 'more common' is now more common.

4. Simple, ordinary or vulgar.
   • 1893, Florian Cajori, A History of Mathematics

     If it be asked wherein the utility of some modern extensions of mathematics lies, it must be acknowledged that it is at present difficult to see how they are ever to become applicable to questions of common life or physical science.

   • 1768, Arthur Murphy, Zenobia

     above the vulgar flight of common souls

   • She was frankly disappointed. For some reason she had thought to discover a burglar of one or another accepted type—either a dashing cracksman in full-blown evening dress, lithe, polished, pantherish, or a common yegg, a red-eyed, unshaven burly brute in the rags and tatters of a tramp.

5. (grammar) In some languages, particularly Germanic languages, of the gender originating from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine categories of nouns.
6. (grammar) Of or pertaining to common nouns as opposed to proper nouns.
7. Vernacular, referring to the name of a kind of plant or animal, i.e., common name vs. scientific name.
8. (obsolete) Profane; polluted.
9. (obsolete) Given to lewd habits; prostitute.

Synonyms

• (mutual): mutual, shared; see also Thesaurus:joint
• (usual): normal, ordinary, standard, usual; see also Thesaurus:common
• (occurring in large numbers or in a large quantity): widespread; see also Thesaurus:widespread
• (ordinary): common-or-garden, everyday; see also Thesaurus:normal
• (grammar, gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine): epicene
• (grammar, antonym of proper): appellative
• (vernacular): common parlance

Antonyms

• (mutual): personal, individual, peculiar; see also Thesaurus:sole
• (usual): special, exceptional, rare, uncommon; see also Thesaurus:strange
• (occurring in large numbers or in a large quantity): rare, uncommon, few and far between
• (ordinary): exceptional, extraordinary, noteworthy, special
• (vernacular): technical term

See also

• (grammar, gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine): feminine, masculine, neuter

Translations

Noun

common (plural commons)

1. Mutual good, shared by more than one.
2. A tract of land in common ownership; common land.
3. The people; the community.
4. (law) The right of taking a profit in the land of another, in common either with the owner or with other persons; so called from the community of interest which arises between the claimant of the right and the owner of the soil, or between the claimants and other commoners entitled to the same right.

Translations

Verb

common (third-person singular simple present commons, present participle commoning, simple past and past participle commoned)

1. (obsolete) To communicate (something).
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans, Bible, Luke XXII:

     Then entred Satan into Judas, whose syr name was iscariot (which was of the nombre off the twelve) and he went his waye, and commened with the hye prestes and officers, how he wolde betraye hym vnto them.

2. (obsolete) To converse, talk.
   • 1568-1569, Richard Grafton, Chronicle

     Capitaine generall of Flaunders, which amiably enterteyned the sayd Duke, and after they had secretly commoned of.

3. (obsolete) To have sex.
4. (obsolete) To participate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Thomas More to this entry?)

5. (obsolete) To have a joint right with others in common ground.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Johnson to this entry?)

6. (obsolete) To board together; to eat at a table in common.

Derived terms

References

• common at OneLook Dictionary Search
• common in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• common in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

The noun is probably from middle (noun) +? -ing; the adjective is most likely derived from the noun, and the adverb from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?dl??/, /?m?dl???/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?d(?)l??/
• Hyphenation: mid?dl?ing

Adjective

middling (comparative more middling, superlative most middling)

1. Of intermediate or average size, position, or quality; mediocre.
2. (colloquial, regional Britain) In fairly good health.

Synonyms

• (intermediate or average in size, position, or quality): average, medium, unexceptional

Derived terms

• fair to middling
• middlings
• middling sort

Translations

Adverb

middling (comparative more middling, superlative most middling)

1. (colloquial, regional Britain) Fairly, moderately, somewhat.
   • 1811, Engelbert Kempfer [i.e., Engelbert Kaempfer]; J[ohann] G[aspar] Scheuchzer, transl., “The Division and Sub-division of the Empire of Japan into Its Several Provinces; as also of Its Revenue and Government”, in The History of Japan; republished in John Pinkerton, editor, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World; Many of which are Now First Translated into English. Digested on a New Plan, volume VII, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row; and Cadell and Davies, in the Strand, ?OCLC, page 665:

     Iwami, otherwise Sekisju, is two days journey long, going from ?outh to north, a middling good country, producing plenty of cannib, and affording ?ome ?alt.

2. (colloquial, regional Britain) Not too badly, with modest success.

Noun

middling (plural middlings)

1. Something of intermediate or average size, position, or quality.
   1. (in the plural) Preceded by the: people of moderate means; members of the middle class.

Further reading

• Michael Quinion (created 26 May 2001, last updated 1 October 2016) , “Fair to middling”, in World Wide Words