Just now I was teaching a male high school student in Shenzhen, South China, in his 1 on 1 English class. We were reading an Indian legend about the Northern Lights, and he asked about the word “still” in this passage:
“The chief often worried about his son. He did not see the boy run and play with other children in the village. Still, the boy would disappear for hours at a time. His parents were never quite sure where he would go.”
The student knew “still” meant “continuing,” but that made no sense in this case. He asked a great question! Actually, “still” has MANY meanings.
1. to continue or keep on
Joy is still learning English with DreyerCoaching.com. (Meaning: Joy has kept learning English with DreyerCoaching.com for a long time and continues to do so.)
2. to show a contrast (like “but” or “however”)
It’s winter here. Still, it has not snowed much. (Meaning: Even though it is winter, it has not snowed very much, which seems unusual.)
3. to be quiet
Keep still so mom and dad don’t hear us!
A famous Bible verse popular with many Christians and Jews is Psalm 46:10.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (NIV)
(In Chinese)
祂说：“要安静，
要知道我是上帝，
我必在列国受尊崇，
在普世受尊崇。”
—诗篇 46:10
4. to make no movement
The baby deer stood still; no one even saw her.
5. to describe water that does not move
It’s beautiful to look at a still lake; the water is almost like a mirror, reflecting the sky and clouds.
A popular painting form is called “Still Life,” because it is a painting that shows no movement, like this.
6. to describe weather without wind
Yesterday was windy but it’s still today.
7. the equipment to make whiskey
The police found an illegal still in the woods.
Cultural note: Franklin County, in Southwest Virginia, is known as the “Moonshine Capital of America,” because it has a long history of many residents, especially in the poorer, rugged, mountainous western part of the county, making illegal whiskey called “moonshine.” A few weeks ago, I attended a program on the Blue Ridge Parkway to honor Mr. Kinney Rorer, creator and host of the “Back to the Blue Ridge” bluegrass music program. He told this story about moonshine whiskey and the stills that produced it. “My father grew up in Franklin County, Virginia, between Callaway and Henry. He said when we was growing up, everyone around made moonshine whiskey, expect for the Baptist preacher, and he made wooden barrels.” He also said, everyone around in western Franklin County then had a large dinner bell outside their home. However, they never rang it to call their family to dinner. They only rang it when they saw someone they didn’t know. That was because, in those close-knit communities, everyone knew everyone else. So, if you saw a new person, it might be an “outsider” police officer or tax man coming in to find and destroy the stills.