When did 'want' stop meaning "in need of"

Question

When did the word 'want' stop meaning "in need of" or 'lacking' and begin to refer to desire? (Evidence old phrases with the original meaning like: "want for nothing" or "waste not, want not".)

candied_orange · Answer

Not yet.

want

have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
  "I want an apple"
  synonyms:   desire, wish for, hope for, aspire to, fancy, care for, like; More
  (archaic)
  lack or be short of something desirable or essential.
  "you shall want for nothing while you are with me"
  noun
  (archaic)
  a lack or deficiency of something.
  "Victorian houses which are in want of repair"
  synonyms:   lack, absence, nonexistence, unavailability; More
  a desire for something.
  "the expression of our wants and desires"
  synonyms:   wish, desire, demand, longing, yearning, fancy, craving, hankering;

google

archaic

very old or old-fashioned.

google

Old doesn't mean dead.  Thus, I find the assumption that this meaning has ceased, wanting.

deadrat · Answer

There is a film short written and directed by Keir Black called I Want for Nothing made in 2008 (but not released yet).
Listen to the song "I Want for Nothing," a 2009 effort of the band Wye Oak.
From the 2000 book Texas Anthem by Kerry Newcomb:

I'll be a good husband to you, Rose.  And we'll have a wonderful life.
You'll be my queen, I promise, and you'll want for nothing.

The historical change may be acoming, but it's not here yet.

When did 'want' stop meaning "in need of"

2 Answers

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question