do you mind

D

do you mind (interrogative phrase / polite request)
/ˈduː juː maɪnd/

Meanings

• A polite way of asking permission or making a request.
• An indirect way of asking someone to stop doing something annoying or unwelcome.
• An expression of surprise, annoyance, or emphasis.
• Asking literally if someone objects or feels bothered.

Synonyms: excuse me; would it bother you; please stop; pardon me; is it okay?

Example Sentences

1. do you mind if I open the window? It’s getting stuffy in here.
2. do you mind not talking so loudly while I’m reading?
3. do you mind! You nearly knocked me over.
4. I asked, do you mind if I sit here, and she smiled in agreement.

Variants

• would you mind
• don’t you mind
• you don’t mind, do you
• if you don’t mind

Origin and History

The phrase “do you mind” originates from the verb “mind,” which derives from Old English “gemynd,” meaning memory or remembrance, ultimately tracing back to Proto-Germanic “*ga-munthjan,” related to reminding or recalling. In its verbal form, “mind” evolved in Middle English around the 14th century to encompass notions of attention and care, as seen in senses like “to remember” or “to take heed.”

By the late 15th century, it developed the meaning of “to perceive or notice,” and by the 1550s, “to pay attention to.” A pivotal shift occurred around 1600, when “mind” acquired the sense of “to object to” or “to feel displeasure at,” reflecting a transition from cognitive awareness to emotional response.

This semantic evolution underpins the phrase’s dual modern uses: as a polite inquiry into objection (“Do you mind if I…?”) and as an expression of annoyance (“Do you mind?”). Etymological sources, confirm that the verb’s connotation of objection arose from earlier uses implying concern or bother, allowing the interrogative form to function as a courteous probe into another’s discomfort.

Historical Development and Theories

The history of “do you mind” reflects broader changes in English politeness strategies, particularly in the transition from direct imperatives to indirect requests during the 19th century. Initially, in earlier English (16th-18th centuries), “mind” in negative constructions like “I mind not” simply denoted lack of objection, appearing in literature to express indifference or consent without the interrogative softening.

Theories suggest that by the late 1800s, amid rising social norms emphasizing courtesy in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, the phrase adapted into a formulaic polite request, evolving from its attentional roots (“are you paying attention?”) to imply potential irritation (“does this bother you?”). Some linguists propose this shift was influenced by class dynamics, where indirect speech acts allowed for deference without vulnerability. By the early 20th century, as evidenced in conversational fiction, it had solidified as an idiomatic expression for seeking permission or protesting mildly. Alternative beliefs, drawn from dialectal variations, posit regional influences—such as Northern English uses of “mind” for “remember”—but the dominant theory aligns with standard British English’s emphasis on euphemistic objection, as documented in idiom handbooks like Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook.

Country of Origin

The phrase “do you mind” first appeared and originated in England, within the context of standard British English during the 19th century. As a product of the language’s evolution in the British Isles, it emerged amid the formalization of polite discourse in literature and everyday speech, influenced by the social conventions of Victorian society. While the verb “mind” has deeper Germanic roots shared across English-speaking regions, the specific interrogative form as a politeness marker is distinctly tied to British usage, predating widespread American adoption. Historical analyses, trace its idiomatic development to English authors and contexts, with no earlier attestations in other English variants like Scottish or Irish dialects in this precise form.

Earliest Printed Record

The earliest verifiable printed record of the phrase “do you mind” in its modern polite sense appears in Rudyard Kipling’s short story “The Dog Hervey,” published in the collection A Diversity of Creatures on September 6, 1917, by Macmillan and Co. in London. In the narrative, a character states:

“‘I say,’ he began hurriedly, ‘do you mind if I come in here for a little? I’m a bit edgy.'”

This usage exemplifies the phrase as a tentative request for permission, aligning with its emerging role in early 20th-century dialogue. Although anecdotal evidence, such as the attributed exchange between Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt (“Do you mind if I smoke?” c. 1890s), suggests oral currency in late 19th-century British circles, no earlier printed citation in literature has been identified in major dictionaries, which lists related senses of “mind” (sense 6a, to object to) from 1600 but does not specify this exact phrasal form prior to the 20th century.

Mind, Surprise