ETYMOLOGY A

ETYMOLOGY A 1 A a/an - From O.E. an (with a long vowel) "one, lone," also used as a prefix an- "single, lone." In other European languages, identity between indefinite article and the word for "one" remains explicit (Fr. un, Ger. ein, etc.) The indefinite article began to emerge in English 12c. (O.E. didn't use it), and a and an began to differentiate 1100s. a- - in native (derived from O.E.) words, it most commonly represents O.E. an, on, as in alive, asleep, etc., forming adjectives and adverbs from nouns; but it also can be M.E. of, as in anew, abreast (1599); or a reduced form of O.E. ge-, as in aware; or the O.E. intens. a-, as in arise, awake, ashame, marking a verb as momentary, a single event. The habit of tacking a- onto a gerund (as in a-hunting we will go) died out 18c. As a prefix meaning "not," it is from Gk. Many words beginning with a- in Mod.Eng. are transparent (afire, etc.) and etymologies can be found in listings for their stems. Words listed here are those whose unprefixed form is not an obvious word in Eng. or whose meaning has drifted significantly (amuse). A-1 - 1837, Lloyd's of London designation for ships in first-class condition. A&P - U.S. grocery chain, originally The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, founded 1859 by George Huntington Hartford and George Gilman. aardvark - 1833, from Afrikaans aard "earth" + vark "pig." aback - O.E. on b鎐, "at or on the back." Now surviving mainly in taken aback, originally a nautical expression for a sudden change of wind that flattens the square sails back against the masts. The figurative sense is first recorded 1840. abacus - 14c., from L. abacus, from Gk. abax (gen. abakos) "counting table," from Heb. abaq "dust," thus "drawing board covered with dust or sand that could be written on to do mathematical equations." Specific reference to a counting frame is 17c. or later. abaft - O.E. on b 鎓 tan, the second component itself a compound of by and 鎓 tan "aft." abalone - 1888, Amer.Eng., from Sp. abulon from Costanoan (a California coastal Indian language) aluan "red abalone." abandon - 1390, from O.Fr., "surrender," from ?/i> "at" + bandon "power, jurisdiction," from L. bannum, "proclamation," or from a Frankish word related to band. The word carries a sense of "put someone under someone else's control" (mettre ?bandon). abase - 14c., abaishen, from O.Fr. ?bassier "make lower," from V.L. *bassiare "bring lower," related to the adj. base and altered by influence of it, which made it an exception to the rule that O.Fr. verbs with stem -iss- enter Eng. as -ish. abash - c.1303, from O.Fr. esbaiss-, stem of esbaer "gape with astonishment," from es "out" + ba(y)er "to be open, gape," from L. *batare "to yawn, gape," from root *bat, possibly imitative of yawning. Bashful is 16c. derivative. abate - c.1300, from O.Fr. abattre "beat down," from L. ad "to" + battuere "to beat." Secondary sense of "to fell, slaughter" is in abatis and abattoir. abatis - 1766, from Fr., from L.L. (see abate). abattoir - 1840, from Fr. (see abate). abbey - c.1300, from O.Fr. abaie, from L.L. abbatia, from abbas (gen. abbatis), see abbot. abbot - O.E. abbud, from L. acc. abbatem, from Gk. abbas, from Aramaic abba "father." The same Heb. root is in Abraham "father of a multitude," changed from Abram "high father;" and Absalom, from Heb. Abshalom "father of peace." The L. fem. abbatissa is root of abbess. abbreviate - early 15c., from M.Fr. abr 関 ETYMOLOGY A 2 iation, from L.L. abbreviationem (nom. abbreviatio), from abbreviare "make brief," from L. ad "to" + breviare "shorten," from brevis "brief." Abderian laughter - from Abdera, in Thrace, whose citizens were considered rustic simpletons who would laugh at anything or anyone they didn't understand. abdicate - 1541, "to disown, disinherit (children)," from L. abdicatus, pp. of abdicare "renounce, reject," from ab- "away" + dicare "proclaim." Meaning "divest oneself of office" first recorded 1618. abdomen - 1541, from L., "belly," perhaps from abdere "conceal," with a sense of "concealment of the viscera." Biological sense of "posterior division of the bodies of arthropods" first recorded 1788. abduct - 1834, altered from abduce (1537), from L. abducere "lead away," from ab- "away" + ducere "to lead." Abduction is first recorded 1626. aberration - 1594, "a wandering, straying," from L. aberrationem, from aberrare "go astray," from ab- "away" + errare "to wander." Meaning "deviation from the normal type" first attested 1846. abet - c.1300, from O.Fr. abeter, from ?/i> "to" + beter "to bait," from a Gmc. source, perhaps Low Franconian betan "incite," or O.N. beita "cause to bite." abeyance - 1528, from Anglo-Fr. abeiance, from O.Fr. abeance "aspiration, desire," noun form of abeer "aspire after," also "expectation (especially in a lawsuit)," from ?/i> "at" + ba(y)er "be open," from L. *batare "to yawn, gape" (see abash). Originally in Eng. a legal term, "condition of a person in expectation or hope of receiving property;" it turned around 17c. to mean "condition of property temporarily without an owner." Root baer is also the source of English bay "recessed space," as in "bay window." abhor - 1449, from L. abhorrere "shrink back in terror," from ab- "away" + horrere "tremble." abide - O.E. abidan, gebidan "remain," from ge- completive prefix + bidan "bide, remain, wait, dwell." Originally intransitive (with genitive of the object); transitive sense emerged in M.E. Meaning "to put up with" (now usually negative) first recorded 1526. abigail - "lady's maid," 1666, from character of that name in Beaumont & Fletcher's "The Scornful Lady." ability - 14c., from O.Fr. ablet?/i> "expert at handling (something)," from L. habilitas "aptitude," from habilis "easy to manage, handy" (see able). abject - early 15c., from L. abjectus, pp. of abicere "throw away, cast off," from ab- "away, off" + jacere "to throw." abjure - 1430, from L. abjurare "deny on oath," from ab- "away" + jurare "to swear." ablative - c.1434, from M.Fr. ablatif, from L. casus ablativus "case of removal," expressing direction from place, from ablatus, pp. of auferre "carrying away," from ab- "away" + ferre "carry." able - c.1375, from O.Fr. hable, from L. habilis "easily handled, apt," from habere "to hold." The silent h- was dropped in Eng. The suffix -able is from L. -ibilis, -abilis, forming adjectives from verbs. In L., infinitives in -are took -abilis, others -ibilis; in Eng., -able is used for native words, -ible for words of obvious L. origin. ablution - M.E., from L. ablutionem, from ab- "off" + luere "lave." abnegation - 1554, from L. abnegationem, from abnegare, from ab- "off, away from" + negare "to deny." abnormal - c.1835, replaced older anormal and anormous under infl. of L. abnormis "deviating from a rule," from ab- "off, away from" + norma "rule." Older Eng. words were more like Gk. anomalos, from an- "not" + homalos, from homos "same." ETYMOLOGY A 3 aboard - 1494, from O.Fr. ?/i> "on" + board "board," from Frank. *bord (see board). abode - O.E. abad, pp. of abiden "to abide" (see abide). The present-to-preterite vowel change is consistent with an O.E. class I strong verb (ride/rode, etc.). abolish - 1459, from M.Fr. aboliss-, stem of abolir "to abolish," from L. abolescere "to die out, decay little by little," inceptive of L. abolere "to retard," from ab- "from" + adolere "to grow." Specific application to the slave trade is first recorded 1529, as is abolition; abolitionist is from 1788. abomination - c.1350, "feeling of disgust, hatred, loathing," from O.Fr. abomination, from L. abominari "shun as an ill omen," from ab- "off, away from" + omin-, stem of omen (see omen). Meaning intensified by folk etymology derivation from L. ab homine "away from man," thus "beastly." Abominable snowman (1921) translates Tibetan meetaoh kangmi. aborigine - 1858, mistaken singular of aborigines (1547, the correct singular is aboriginal), from L. Aborigines "the first inhabitants" (especially of Latium), possibly a tribal name, or from ab origine "from the beginning." abortive - 14c., from L. abortivus "causing abortion," from abortus, pp. of aboriri "disappear, miscarry," from ab- "amiss" + oriri "appear, be born, arise," used in L. for deaths, miscarriages, sunsets, etc. Abortion first recorded 1547. abound - c.1325, from O.Fr. abunder, from L. abundare "overflow, run over," from L. ab- "off" + undare "rise in a wave." about - O.E. onbutan, from on "on" + be "by" + utan "outside," so "around the outside of." It gradually forced out O.E. ymbe for other meanings, such as "in the neighborhood of." Abouts, with adverbial genitive, still found in hereabouts, etc., is probably a northern dialectal form. above - O.E. abufan, from on "on" + bufan "over," compound of be "by" + ufan "over/high," from P.Gmc. *ufan-, *uban-. Meaning "in addition" first recorded 1596. Aboveboard (1616) was originally a gambling term. abracadabra - 1696, from L. (Q. Severus Sammonicus, 2c.), from Late Gk. Abraxas, cabalistic or gnostic name for the supreme god, and thus a word of power. abrasion - 1656, from M.L. abrasionem "a scraping," from L. abrasus, pp. of abradere, from ab- "off" + radere "to scrape." abridge - c.1303, from O.Fr. abregier, from L.L. abbreviare "make short" (see abbreviate). The sound development from L. -vi- to Fr. -dg- is paralleled in assuage (from assuavidare) and deluge (from diluvium). abroad - O.E. on brede, meaning something like "at wide." The original sense was not "overseas" but simply "out of doors." abrogate - 1526, from L. abrogatus, pp. of abrogare, from ab- "away" + rogare "propose a law, request." abrupt - 1583, from L. abruptus, pp. of abrumpere "break off," from ab- "off" + rumpere "break." abscess - 1543, from L. abscessus "a going away," from stem of abscedere "withdraw," from ab- "away" + cedere "to go." The notion is that humors "go from" the body through the pus in the swelling. abscissa - 1698, from L. abscissa (linea) "(a line) cut off," from abscindere "to cut off," from ab- "off, away" + scindere "to cut." abscond - 1565, from L. abscondere "to hide, conceal," from ab(s)- "away" + condere "put together, store," from com- "together" + dere "put." absence - c.1380, from O.Fr. absence, from L. absentem (nom. absens), prp. of abesse "be away," from ab- "away" + esse "to be." absent (v.) - "keep away," 14c., from M.Fr. absenter, from L.L. absentare "cause to be ETYMOLOGY A 4 away," from L. absentem, prp. of abesse "be away" (see absence). absinthe - 1842, from Fr., "essence of wormwood," from Mod.L. (Linnaeus) name for the plant (Artemisia Absinthium), from L. absinthum, from Gk. apsinthion. absolute - c.1380, from L. absolutus, pp. of absolvere "to set free, make separate" (see absolve). Most of the current senses were in L. Sense evolution is from "detached, disengaged," thus "perfect, pure." Meaning "despotic" (1612) is from notion of "absolute in position;" hence absolutism, 1753 in theology, 1830 in politics. absolve - early 15c., from L. absolvere "set free," from ab- "from" + solvere "loosen." absorb - early 15c., from M.Fr. absorber, from O.Fr. assorbir, from L. absorbere "to swallow up," from ab- "from" + sorbere "suck in." Absorbent first recorded 1718. absquatulate - 1837, "Facetious U.S. coinage" [Weekley], perhaps rooted in mock-Latin negation of squat "to settle." abstain - c.1380, from O.Fr. abstenir, from L. abstinere "withhold," from ab(s)- "from" + tenere "to hold." Abstention first recorded 1521; abstinence is 1340, from L. abstinentem, prp. of abstinere. abstemious - 1610, from L., from ab(s)- "from" + temetum "strong drink." abstract - late 14c., from L. abstractus, pp. of abstrahere "draw away," from ab(s)- "away" + trahere "draw." Abstract art dates from 1915; abstract expressionism from 1952. abstruse - 1599, from L. abstrusus, pp. of abstrudere "conceal," from ab- "away" + trudere "to thrust, push." absurdity - 1528, from M.Fr. absurdit? from L. absurditatem, from absurdus "out of tune, senseless," from ab- intens. prefix + surdus "dull, deaf, mute." abundance - 1340, from L. abundantia "fullness," from abundantem (nom. abundans), prp. of abundare "to overflow" (see abound). abuse (v.) - 1413, from M.Fr. abuser, from V.L. *abusare, from L. abusus, pp. of abuti "use up," from ab- "away" + uti "use." The noun is first recorded 1439. abut - early 13c., from O.Fr. abouter "join end to end," from ?/i> "to" + bout "end." The architectural abutment is first attested 1793. abysmal - 1656, formed in Eng. from obsolete abysm, from O.Fr. abisme, from V.L. *abismus, alteration of L. abyssus (see abyss) by influence of L. nouns ending in -ismus. abyss - 1534, from L.L. abyssus, from Gk. abyssos, from a- "without" + byssos "bottom," possibly related to bathos "depth." Abyssal is first recorded 1691, used especially of the zone of ocean water below 300 fathoms. acacia - 14c., from L. acacia, from Gk. akakia "thorny Egyptian tree," probably related to Gk. ake "point, thorn." academy - 1474, from L. academia, from Gk. Akademia "grove of Akademos," a legendary Athenian of the Trojan War tales (his name apparently means "of a silent district"), whose estate, six stadia from Athens, was the enclosure where Plato taught his school. Sense broadened 16c. into any school or training place. Poetic form academe first attested 1588. Academic first recorded 1586; sense of "not leading to a decision" is 20c. Acadian - 1790, from Fr. name of Nova Scotia, probably from Archadia, the name given to the region by Verrazano in 1524, from Gk. Arkadia, emblematic in 16c. of a place of rural peace. acanthus - 1667, from L. acanthus, from Gk. akanthos, from ake "point, thorn" + anthos "flower." A conventionalized form of the leaf is used in Corinthian capitals. accede - early 15c., from L. accedere "approach, enter upon," from ad- "to" + cedere "go, move." (L. ad- usually became ac- before "k" sounds.) accelerate - 1520s, from L. acceleratus, pp. ETYMOLOGY A 5 of accelerare "quicken," from ad- "to" + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift." Accelerator in motor vehicle sense is first recorded 1900. accent - 14c., from M.Fr. accent, from O.Fr. acent, from L. accentus "song added to speech," from ad- "to" + cantus "a singing," pp. of canere "to sing." Loan-translation of Gk. prosoidia, from pros- "to" + oide "song," which apparently described the pitch scheme in Gk. verse. Meaning "particular mode of pronunciation" is first recorded 1538. accentuate - 1731, from M.L. accentuatus, pp. of accentuare "to accent," from L. accentus (see accent). accept - c.1380, "to take what is offered," from O.Fr. accepter from L. acceptare "take or receive willingly," from acceptus, pp. of accipere "receive," from ad- "to" + capere "take." access - c.1300, originally "an attack of fever," from O.Fr. acces "onslaught," from L. accessus "a coming to, an approach," pp. of accedere "approach" (see accede). As a noun, first recorded 1970. Accessory first attested 1414 as a legal term in the criminal sense; accessible first recorded 1610. accident - c.1380, from O.Fr. accident, from L. accidentum (nom. accidens), prp. of accidere "happen, fall out," from ad- "to" + cadere "fall." Meaning grew from "something that happens, an event," to "something that happens by chance," then "mishap." acclamation - 1541, from L. acclamationem, from acclamare "shout approval or disapproval of," from ad- "toward" + clamare "cry out." acclimate - 1792, from Fr. acclimater, from ?/i> "to" (from L. ad) + climat (see climate). acclivity - 1614, from L. acclivitatem, from ad- "up" + clivus "hill." accolade - 1623, from Prov. acolada from L. ad- "to" + collum "neck." The original sense is the tapping of a sword on the shoulders to confer knighthood. Extended meaning "praise, award" is late 19c. accommodate - 1531, from L. accomodatus, pp. of accomodare "fit one thing to another," from ad- "to" + commodare "make fit," from commodus "fit" (see commode). Accommodation "lodgings and entertainment" first recorded 1604. accompany - 1426, from M.Fr. accompagner, from O.Fr. acompaignier "take as a companion," from ?/i> "to" + compaignier, from compaign (see companion). accomplice - 1485, from O.Fr. complice "a confederate," with a parasitic a- on model of accomplish, etc., or assimilation of indefinite article in phrase a complice, from L.L. complicem, acc. of complex "partner, confederate," from L. complicare "fold together" (see complicate). Accomplishment first recorded c.1425. accomplish - c.1380, from O.Fr. acompliss-, stem of acomplir "to fulfill," from V.L. *accomplere, from L. ad- "to" + complere "fill up." (see complete.) Accomplished "fully versed" is 16c. accord - early 12c., from O.Fr. acorder, from V.L. *accordare "make agree," lit. "be of one heart," from L. ad- "to" + cor (gen. cordis) "heart." accordion - 1831, from Ger. Akkordion, from Akkord "concord of sounds, be in tune," from Fr. accord, from O.Fr. acord (see accord). accost - 1578, from M.Fr. accoster "move up to," from L.L. accostare "come up to the side," from L. ad- "to" + costa "rib, side" (see coast). accoucheur - 1759, "midwife" (properly, "male midwife"), from Fr. accoucher, from O.Fr. culcher, from L. collocare, from com- "with" + locare "to place." account - c.1300, from O.Fr. acont "account," from ?/i> "to" + cont "count," from L.L. computus "a calculation," from L. computare ETYMOLOGY A 6 "calculate" (see compute). Accountant in the sense of "professional maker of accounts" is recorded from 1539. accoutrement - 1549, from M.Fr. accoustrement, from accoustrer, from O.Fr. acostrer "arrange," originally "sew up," from *consutura "a sewing." accredit - 1620, Fr. accr閐 iter, from ?/i> "to" + cr閐 it "credit" (see credit). accretion - 1615, from L. accretionem (nom. accretio) "a growing larger," from stem of accrescere, from ad- "to" + crescere "grow." accrue - 1440, from O.Fr. acreue "growth, increase," from acreu, pp. of acreistre "to increase," from L. accrescere, from ad- "to" + crescere "grow." accumulation - 1490, from L. accumulationem, from accumulare "to heap up in a mass," from ad- "in addition" + cumulare "heap up," from cumulus "heap." accurate - 1612, from L. accuratus "prepared with care, exact," pp. of accurare "take care of," from ad- "to" + curare "take care of." The notion of doing something carefully led to that of being exact. accursed - M.E. acursed, pp. of acursen "pronounce a curse upon, excommunicate," from a- intens. prefix + cursein (see curse). The extra -c- is 15c., mistaken Latinism. accusative - 1434, from Anglo-Fr. accusatif, from O.Fr. acusatif, from L. casus accusativus "case of accusing," from accusatus, pp. of accusare (see accuse). Translating Gk. ptosis aitiatike "case of that which is caused," on similarity of Gk. aitiasthai "accuse." accuse - c.1300, from L. accusare "to call to account," from ad- "against" + causari "give as a cause