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    Why does '' late '' mean dead ? .......as in ''... my late husband ..'' I am a widow and have to use this phrase

    +3  Views: 910 Answers: 3 Posted: 12 years ago

    3 Answers

    I found this to be a good explanation, but how accurate it is, I'm not sure.


     


    In reference to a recently deceased person, the late shows respect. It’s often used to inform or remind readers that a mentioned person has died recently, and it’s sometimes a polite way of saying recently deceased, even when virtually everyone knows that the person is recently deceased. In general, it applies to anyone who has died in the last decade or so, and it almost always carries a note of reverence. So, for example, the late Osama bin Laden might strike some English speakers as too respectful.


    http://grammarist.com/usage/the-late/


     


    Wonderer's answer is a good answer, but the answer above elaborates a bit more.

    Another way of saying dead..If you say to somebody "Johnno is late".it means he is not there..nice way to say somebody has moved on..>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<..

    sunnyB

    I've not heard that saying before Terry, it must be from the southern hemisphere. Around here if you say Johny is late it means , he's late , we might say oh he's late again , as always.
    it just sounds more honerable than saying "my dead husband".
    mycatsmom

    but how did it get started? Does anybody know ?
    Shouldn't it be '' my early husband '',.......b/c he died before his time?


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