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Christine Christie Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Phrase

Consider the folowing sentence:


"My whole perception of adults shifted that afternoon and the last shreds of security, as I knew it, disappeared, leaving me CAST ADRIFT, with only bewilderment as my companion."



In this context, what does it mean 'to cast adrift'?

  

Top answer

Christine Christie In this context, what does it mean 'to cast adrift'? Cast is a past participle in the sentence, not an infinitive. Cast has its old Germanic meaning to throw, but is of course used figuratively.

  • Christine Christie In this context, what does it mean 'to cast adrift'?
  • Cast is a past participle in the sentence, not an infinitive.
  • Cast has its old Germanic meaning to throw, but is of course used figuratively.
  • The phrase cast adrift means that the person has no purpose in life and doesn't know where to go or what to do next.
  • Incidentally, kasta still means to throw in modern Swedish and is the most common Swedish word for that.
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1 Answers
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Christine ChristieIn this context, what does it mean 'to cast adrift'?

Cast is a past participle in the sentence, not an infinitive. Cast has its old Germanic meaning to throw, but is of course used figuratively. The phrase cast adrift means that the person has no purpose in life and doesn't know where to go or what to do next.

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