How can 'restive' mean uncontrolable?

Restive comes from a different root and route than rest. English is full of examples of this. English is truly a mongrel language.

If you are interested in the origins of words, try a good Oxford dictionary.

Diane

(posting order conformed to AUE standard)
[nq:2]I would naturally think it's the noun 'rest' made adjective by adding 'ive', meaning quiet and not much movement.[/nq]
[nq:1]Restive comes from a different root and route than rest. English is full of examples of this. English is truly a mongrel language. If you are interested in the origins of words, try a good Oxford dictionary.[/nq]
Or

[nq:1]I would naturally think it's the noun 'rest' made adjective by adding 'ive', meaning quiet and not much movement.[/nq]
restive - c.1410, "not moving forward," from M.Fr. restif (fem. restive) "motionless," from rester "to remain" (see rest (2)). Sense of "unmanageable" (1687) evolved via notion of a horse refusing to go forward.

So there you go!
(does this qualify for the li

[nq:2]I would naturally think it's the noun 'rest' made adjective by adding 'ive', meaning quiet and not much movement.[/nq]
[nq:1]restive - c.1410, "not moving forward," from M.Fr. restif (fem. restive) "motionless," from rester "to remain" (see rest (2)). Sense ... horse refusing to go forward. So there you go! (does this qualify for the list of 'contronyms' in the FAQ?)[/nq]
I don't see

[nq:1]I was interested to see that M-W's usage note warned against confusing "restive" with "restless". I think of "The natives ... signs and murmurs of rebellion, but if I understand them, they say it should be "The natives are getting restive."[/nq]
Akcherly, Donna, it's usually "The natives are restless" no "getting." Google gave me a Richoux Ratio of 5,290 ("natives "" to 979 ("natives ")

[nq:2]I was interested to see that M-W's usage note warned ... they say it should be "The natives are getting restive."[/nq]
[nq:1]Akcherly, Donna, it's usually "The natives are restless" no "getting."[/nq]
I believe that usually there's a "tonight" at the end of the statement. A faint sound of distant drums in the background, of course.
[nq:1]Google gave me a Richoux Ratio of 5,290 ("

[nq:2]Akcherly, Donna, it's usually "The natives are restless" no "getting."[/nq]
Oh? For this native, it is almost always 'getting', the way I've heard it. The meaning is wholly different the other way, giving the phrase little application, I'd think.

Charles Riggs
My email address: chriggs/at/eircom/dot/net

[nq:1]I would naturally think it's the noun 'rest' made adjective by adding 'ive', meaning quiet and not much movement.[/nq]
Restive and restless are near synonyms, but "restive" is mostly applied to horses, while "restless" is applied to natives by stereotyped colonialists.

.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa

[nq:1](posting order conformed to AUE standard)[/nq]
It did? All on its own? When did this happen?
(That is: I've never noticed "conformed" used quite that way. Am I hopelessly "out of it"?)
Maria Conlon
Occasionally Inchoate

[nq:2](posting order conformed to AUE standard)[/nq]
[nq:1]It did? All on its own?[/nq]
"The question is which is to be master, that's all." (Or sth like that)
When did this happen?
Never turn your back.
[nq:1](That is: I've never noticed "conformed" used quite that way. Am I hopelessly "out of it"?)[/nq]
Think about Jay Stevens's "Distribution restored." (Doncha just love