could

== English == === Alternative forms === coulde (archaic) couldst, couldest, could'st (archaic second-person singular) coud, cou'd (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English coude, couthe, cuthe, from Old English cūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form of cunnan (“to be able”) (compare related cūþ, whence English couth). Cognate with German konnte, Swedish kunde. The -l- in the spelling was added in the early 16th century by analogy with should and would; this analogy formerly affected the pronunciation as well and was probably assisted by the tendency for /l/ to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading to shudd, wode, etc). === Pronunciation === (weak form) IPA(key): /kəd/, [kʰəd] (Received Pronunciation, General American, Australian, strong form) IPA(key): /kʊd/, [kʰʊd] (Standard Southern British, strong form) IPA(key): /kɵd/, [kʰɵd] (Scotland, Northern Ireland, strong form) IPA(key): /kʉd/ (Early Modern) IPA(key): /kuːld/, (originally weak form) /kʊ(l)d/ Rhymes: -ʊd Homophones: cud (strong form, without the foot-strut split), khud (strong form) === Verb === could simple past of can conditional of can Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact). I think he could do it if he really wanted to. I wish I could fly! Used to politely ask for permission to do something. Used to politely ask for someone else to do something. Used to show the possibility that something might happen. Used to suggest something. (obsolete except Geordie) past participle of can ==== Usage notes ==== Some speakers and writers consider it wrong to use could to refer to permission. Such people favor replacing it with might, just as they favor replacing can with may when referring to permission. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== can should would === Noun === could (plural coulds) Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality. === See also === Appendix:English modal verbs Appendix:English tag questions === References === === Anagrams === Cloud, cloud, culdo-