FromMiddle Englishcoude,couthe,cuthe, fromOld Englishcūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form ofcunnan(“to be able”) (compare relatedcūþ, whence Englishcouth). The 'l' was added in the early 16th century by analogy withshould andwould; this was probably helped by the tendency for 'l' to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading toshudd,wode, etc).[1][2]
could
- simplepast ofcan
Before I was blind, Icould see very well.
When I was young everybodycould easily find a job in a matter of days.
When I was your age, Icould run 10mi in under an hour.
Icould only find the street, but Icouldn't locate his house.
- conditional ofcan
- Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).
- I think hecould do it if he really wanted to.
- I wish Icould fly!
- Used to politely ask forpermission to do something.
Could I borrow your coat?
- Used to politely ask for someone else to do something.
Could you proofread this email?
I wonder, youcouldn't loan me the money,could you?
- Used to show thepossibility that somethingmight happen.
2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, inThe Economist, volume407, number8842, page55:Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run,could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
Wecould rearrange the time if you like.
- Used tosuggest something.
Youcould try adding more salt to the soup.
- (obsolete except Geordie)pastparticiple ofcan
1981, Anthony Warner,English Auxiliaries: Structure and History, published1993,→ISBN, page222:I haven'tcould sleep.
- Some speakers and writers consider it wrong to usecould to refer to permission. Such people favor replacing it withmight, just as they favor replacingcan withmay when referring to permission.
could (pluralcoulds)
- Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; apotentiality.
1996, Fred Shoemaker,Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible, page88:When the golf ball is there, the whole self-interference package — the hopes, worries, and fears; the thoughts on how-to and how-not-to; the woulds, thecoulds, and the shoulds — is there too.
2010, Shushona Novos,The Personal Universal: A Guidebook for Spiritual Evolution, page395:Shushona you must learn to rightfully prioritize all the woulds, shoulds andcoulds of your life.
, Oxford:Oxford University Press, March 2017.