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Literary notes about affix (AI summary)

The word "affix" in literature has been used in a variety of expressive ways, ranging from the literal to the metaphorical. In some texts, it refers to the concrete act of attaching something—for instance, fastening velvet ends onto a fabric or securing a rope to a beam ([1], [2]). In other instances, authors employ it in a more figurative sense, to denote the act of appending names, qualities, or values to objects or ideas; examples include ascribing a culinary title ([3]), assigning an alternative meaning to a term ([4]), or attaching an arbitrary value to merchandise ([5]). Additionally, "affix" is used to denote the cultural or social act of adopting honorifics, as seen with the honorary use of a title among certain communities ([6]), and further extended metaphorically to attributes assigned to individuals, such as general characteristics in manners or sense ([7]). This diversity of usage demonstrates the word's flexibility in literary contexts, ranging from tangible actions to the imbued assignment of meaning.
  1. Run a narrow velvet through the holes of the third row and affix wider velvet ends, or chenille tassels to each extremity.
    — from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Florence Hartley
  2. Methinks he must have been grievously tempted to affix the other end of the rope to some convenient beam or bough.
    — from Twice-told tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  3. Why should the mysterious Cœlius or Cælius, if such an author or compiler of a tome on cookery existed affix the name of “Apicius” to it?
    — from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius
  4. We only affix a different meaning to the word evangelical .
    — from The Letters of Jane Austen by Jane Austen
  5. That he was accustomed to affix a somewhat arbitrary value to his merchandise, seems to be shown by another story that was told of him.
    — from Toronto of Old by Henry Scadding
  6. According to them, the Vattakādans have adopted the honorary affix Nāyar to their names quite recently.
    — from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7 by Edgar Thurston
  7. I do not agree with her there, but I like his rank very much, and always affix the ideas of strong sense and highly elegant manners to a general.
    — from The Letters of Jane Austen by Jane Austen

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