The store is Open...The store is Close...err I mean ClosED

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Hi guys,

I'm new to the site and have been snooping around. Seems like a wealth of information on here. My question is this. How come the logical pair open/close don't have the same adjective form? We say 'it's open' and not 'it's close' but rather 'it's closed'.

I know we use open and closed because they make sense. The store is open, the store is closed. What I'm trying to find out is a little more historical/etymological. Why did the adjective form evolve into 'closed' rather than 'close'. Is it for phonetic reasons? Because 'open' has Germanic origins and 'close' French?
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Hope you can help me out.

Michael

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fugoalie- Welcome to A2K! . I don't know too much about etymology, but your question got me to thinking. Usually we say, "The store is open", but would it not be just as correct to say, "The store is opened"? (or has opened).

Roberta, (she's our English guru) HELP!

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Maybe someone has a better explanation, but I'm guessing it's just another weird English idiom similar to using "good morning," "good evening," etc. as greetings, but not "good night." Confused

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What I had been thinking was that it is a phonetical convenience. I'm not to sure on the dates but maybe the use of 'close' (meaning near) existed before close (the verb). So out of convenience a d was stuck on the end for the adjective form of 'to close'. Saying the store is closed sounds much better than the store is close. I dunno! Help!

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I was thinking the same thing, fugoalie! (Welcome!)

Isn't this true of everything, not just stores, though? The box is open, the box is closed.

I think "open" and "shut" are perhaps more proper antonyms, along with "opened" and "closed."

Hmm...

ROBOITA!

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Yep, I had the same thoughts as other stated already as far as being a weird twist of words. "Open" indicates that the store is open now where closed indicates something that happend in the past. I guess if we used "it's opened"/"it's closed" the consistancy would be maintained. "It's close" just sounds weird. lol

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It might also have to do with clarification between the store is close (shut) and the store is close (near).

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Yea that may be the reason for the phonetical clarification. People got tired of saying it's close! it's close!

Tom: Hey Bob how far is the public bathhouse?
Bob: Oh it's close.
Tom: It is? I thought it was open?
Bob: Mad

I didn't say it's close, I said it's close!!
Tom: Shocked

WHAT?
lololol

They probably just stuck on a D. Still thought I'd like to find out the history behind it you know? I'm going to check the big mama OED tonight, now if I only remember where I put the magnifying glass.. Shocked

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Hiya Fugoalie and welcome to a2k. I can tell correct and incorrect. But I'm no expert in etymology. Maybe Craven knows.

It may be the case that closed became the adjective in order to distinguish the word from close (near), but applying such logic to English is often futile.

Sorry I can't help.

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The store is Open...The store is Close...err I mean ClosED

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