max (v.):
"to reach the maximum level," by 1986, colloquial, from maximize or related words.
MAX (n.): mass transit train system in Portland, Oregon; an acronym meaning "Metropolitan Area Express"
MAX: proper noun, referring to a crystal skull that resides with JoAnn Parks in Houston, Texas
maxilla:
"jaw, jawbone," 1676, from L. maxilla "upper jaw," dim. of mala "jaw, cheekbone."
maxim:
"precept, principle," 1426, from M.Fr. maxime, from L.L. maxima, usually in
maxima propositio "axiom," lit. "greatest premise," fem. of maximus "greatest" (see maximum).
Maxim:
single-barreled, water-cooled machine gun, 1885, named for inventor, U.S.-born British engineer Sir Hiram S. Maxim (1840-1916).
Maximilian:
masc. proper name, from L. Maximus and Aemilianus, both proper names. According to Camden, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III (1415-93) coined the name and gave it to his son in hopes the boy would grow up to have the virtues of Fabius Maximus and Scipio Aemilianus.
maximum:
1740, from L. maximum, neut. of maximus "greatest," superl. of magnus "great, large" (see magnum).
anticlimax:
"the addition of a particular which suddenly lowers the effect," 1727, coined by Alexander Pope (1688-1744), from anti- + climax. Anticlimactic (also anti-climactic) is attested from 1898.
Betamax:
1975, proprietary name (Sony), from Japanese beta-beta "all over" + max, from Eng. maximum.
climax:
1589, from L.L. climax (gen. climacis), from Gk. klimax "propositions rising in effectiveness," lit. "ladder," from base of klinein "to slope," from PIE base *klei- "to lean" (see lean (v.)). The rhetorical meaning evolved in Eng. through "series of steps by which a goal is achieved," to "escalating steps," to (1789) "high point," a usage credited by the OED "to popular ignorance." The verb is 1835, from the noun. The meaning "orgasm" is first recorded 1918, apparently coined by birth-control pioneer Marie Stopes, as a more accessible word than orgasm.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Currency for the New Year
currency
1657, "condition of flowing," from L. currentum, pp. of currere "to run" (see current); the sense of a flow or course extended 1699 (by John Locke) to "circulation of money."
cent
c.1400, from L. centum "hundred" (see hundred). M.E. meaning was "one hundred," but shifted to "hundredth part" under infl. of percent. Chosen in this sense in 1786 as name for U.S. currency unit by Continental Congress. The name was first suggested by Robert Morris in 1782 under a different currency plan. Before the cent, colonial dollars were reckoned in ninetieths, based on the exchange rate of Pennsylvania money and Spanish coin.
depreciation
1767, "a lowering of value" (originally of currency), noun of action from depreciate. Meaning "loss of value of a durable good by age or wear" is from 1900.
dollar
1553, from Low Ger. daler, from Ger. taler (1540, later thaler), abbrev. of Joachimstaler, lit. "(gulden) of Joachimstal," coin minted 1519 from silver from mine opened 1516 near Joachimstal, town in Erzgebirge Mountains in northwest Bohemia. Ger. Tal is cognate with Eng. dale. Ger. thaler was a large silver coin of varying value in the Ger. states (and a unit of the Ger. monetary union of 1857-73 equal to three marks); it was also a currency unit in Denmark and Sweden. Eng. colonists in America used the word in ref. to Spanish pieces of eight. Continental Congress July 6, 1785, adopted dollar when it set up U.S. currency, on suggestion of Gouverneur Morris and Thomas Jefferson, because the term was widely known but not British. But none were actually used until 1794. The dollar sign ($) is said to derive from the image of the Pillars of Hercules, stamped with a scroll, on the Spanish piece of eight. Phrase dollars to doughnuts attested from 1890; dollar diplomacy is from 1910.
deflation
1891, "release of air," from deflate + -ion. In reference to currency, from 1920.
attrit (v.)
1956, U.S. Air Force back-formation from attrition which attained currency during the Vietnam War. (A 17c. attempt at a verb produced attrite).
croup
"couching illness," 1765, from obsolete verb croup "to cry hoarsely, croak," probably echoic. This was the local name of the disease in southeastern Scotland, given wide currency by Dr. Francis Home (1719-1813) of Edinburgh in his 1765 article on it.
ruble
unit of Rus. monetary system, 1554, via Fr., from Rus. rubl', perhaps from rubiti "to chop, cut," so called because the original metallic currency of Russia (14c.) consisted of silver bars, from which the necessary amount was cut off.
yuan
Chinese unit of currency introduced 1914, from Chinese yuan "round, round object, circle."
scrip
"a certificate of a right to receive something (esp. a stock share)," 1762, probably shortened from (sub)scrip(tion) receipt. Originally "receipt for a portion of a loan subscribed," meaning "certificate issued as currency" first recorded 1790.
devaluation
1898, from de- + valuation. Specific application to currency is from 1914.
spondulicks
1856, Amer.Eng. slang, "money, cash," of unknown origin, said to be from Gk. spondylikos, from spondylos, a seashell used as currency (the Gk. word means lit. "vertebra"). Used by Mark Twain and O.Henry and adopted into British English, where it survives despite having died in Amer.Eng.
l.s.d.
abbreviation of British currency units, from L. librae, soldi, denarii, Roman equivalent of "pounds, shillings, pence."
blarney
1796, from Blarney Stone (which is said to make a persuasive flatterer of any who kiss it), in a castle near Cork, Ireland; reached wide currency through Lady Blarny, the smooth-talking flatterer in Goldsmith's "Vicar of Wakefield" (1766).
petrodollar
1974, "surplus of petroleum exports over imports of all other goods," as a notational unit of currency (in ref. to OPEC nations), formed in Eng. from petro-, comb. form of petroleum (q.v.) + dollar.
deflate
1891, in reference to balloons, coinage based on inflate. L. deflare meant "to blow away," but in the modern word the prefix is taken in the sense of "down." Deflation in reference to currency or economic situations is from 1920.
par
1622, "equality," also "value of one currency in terms of another," from L. par "equal, that which is equal, equality" (see pair). Meaning "average or usual amount" is first attested 1767. Golf usage is first attested 1898. Figurative use of par for the course is from 1947.
speakeasy
"unlicensed saloon," 1889 (in New York "Voice"), from speak + easy, from the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police and neighbors. The word gained wide currency in U.S. during Prohibition (1920-1932). In early 19c. Ir. and British dialect, a speak softly shop meant "smuggler's den."
fiduciary
1640, from L. fiduciarius "(holding) in trust," from fidere "to trust" (see faith). In Roman law, fiducia was "a right transferred in trust;" paper currency sense (1878) is because its value depends on the trust of the public.
mill (n.2)
"one-tenth cent," 1791, introduced as a U.S. currency unit but now only used for tax calculation purposes, shortening of L. millesimum "one-thousandth," from mille "a thousand" (see mile). Formed on the analogy of cent, which is short for L. centesimus "one hundredth" (of a dollar).
casualty
1423, "chance, accident," from L. casualis (see casual) on model of royalty, penalty, etc. Casuality had some currency 16c.-17c. but is now obsolete. Meaning "losses in numbers from a military or other troop" is from 1494. Meaning an individual so lost is from 1844.
asymmetrical
1680s, from asymmetry (q.v.). Other forms that have served as an adj. based on asymmetry are asymmetral (1620s), asymmetrous (1660s), and asymmetric (1875); only the last seems to have any currency.
gloaming
O.E. glomung, formed (probably on model of æfning "evening") from glom "twilight," related to glowan "to glow," hence "glow of sunrise or sunset," from P.Gmc. *glo- (see glow). Fell from currency except in Yorkshire dialect, but preserved in Scotland and reintroduced by Burns and other Scottish writers after 1785.
glee
O.E. gliu "entertainment, mirth, jest," presumably from a P.Gmc. *gliujan but absent in other Gmc. languages except for the rare O.N. gly. In O.E., an entertainer was a gleuman. A poetic word in M.E., obsolete c.1500-c.1700, it somehow found its way back to currency late 18c. Glee club (1814) is from the secondary O.E. sense of "unaccompanied part-song," as a form of musical entertainment.
hub
1511, perhaps from hubbe, originally "lump," the source of hob of a fireplace and hobnail, as in boots. A wheelwright's word, not generally known or used until c.1828; it reached wider currency in connection with bicycles. Meaning "center of interest or activity or importance" first recorded 1858 in writings of Oliver W. Holmes.
"Boston State-House is the hub of the solar system." [O.W. Holmes, "Autocrat of the Breakfast Table"]
Hub cap first recorded 1913.
Krugerrand
1967, South African gold coin (issued for investment purposes) bearing a portrait of Transvaal President Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (1825-1904); second element is rand, unit of decimal currency introduced in Republic of South Africa 1961, named for The Rand, gold-mining area in Transvaal, short for Witwatersrand.
dime
chosen 1786 as name for U.S. 10 cent coin, from dime "a tenth, tithe" (late 14c.), from O.Fr. disme, from L. decima (pars) "tenth (part)," from decem "ten" (see ten). The verb meaning "to inform" (on someone) is 1960s, from the then-cost of a pay phone call. A dime a dozen "almost worthless" first recorded 1930. Phrase stop on a dime attested by 1954 (a dime being the physically smallest unit of U.S. currency).
numismatics
1829, "study of coins," from numismatic (adj.) "of coins," borrowed 1792 from Fr. numismatique (1579), from L. numisma (gen. numismatis) "coin, currency," from Gk. nomisma "current coin," lit. "what has been sanctioned by custom or usage," from nomizein "have in use, adopt a custom," from nomos "custom, law, usage," from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (see nemesis).
shin
O.E. scinu "shin," from P.Gmc. *skino "thin piece" (cf. Du. scheen, O.H.G. scina, Ger. Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE base *skei- "to cut, split." The verb meaning "to climb by using arms and legs" (originally a nautical word) is recorded from 1829. A shin-plaster was a piece of paper soaked in vinegar and used to treat sore legs; in U.S. history, it was used jocularly for "devalued low-denomination paper currency" (1824). Shin splints is attested from 1930.
linden
"the lime tree," O.E., originally an adj., "of linden wood," from O.E. lind "linden" (n.), from P.Gmc. *lindo (cf. O.S. linda, O.N. lind, O.H.G. linta, Ger. linde), probably from PIE *lent- "flexible," with ref. to the tree's pliant bast. "The recent currency of the word is prob. due to its use in translations of German romance, as an adoption of G. linden pl. of linde, or as the first element in the comb. lindenbaum = 'linden-tree.' " [OED]
below
early 14c., biloogh, from be- "by" + logh, lou, lowe "low." Apparently a variant of earlier a-lowe (influenced by other advs. in be-, cf. before), the parallel form to an-high (now on high). Beneath was the usual word; below was very rare in M.E. and only gained currency in 16c. It is frequent in Shakespeare. Below is the opposite of above and concerns difference of level and suggests comparison of independent things. Under is the opposite of over and is concerned with superposition and subjection and suggests some interrelation.
spelt
O.E. spelt, perhaps an early borrowing from L.L. spelta "spelt" (c.400, noted as a foreign word), which is perhaps ult. from PIE base *spel- "to split, to break off" (probably in ref. to the splitting of its husks in threshing), which is related to the root of flint. The word had little currency in Eng., and its history is discontinuous. Widespread in Romanic languages (cf. It. spelta, Sp. espelta, O.Fr. spelte, Mod.Fr. épeautre). The word also is widespread in Gmc. (cf. O.H.G. spelta, Ger. Spelt), and a Gmc. language is perhaps the source of the L.L. word.
obnoxious
1581, from L. obnoxiosus "hurtful, injurious," from obnoxius "subject to harm," from ob "to, toward" + noxa "injury, hurt, damage entailing liability" (see noxious). Originally "subject to authority, subject to something harmful;" meaning "offensive, hateful" is first recorded 1675, influenced by noxious (q.v.).
"Obnoxious has two very different senses, one of which (exposed or open or liable to attack or injury) requires notice because its currency is now so restricted that it is puzzling to the uninstructed. It is the word's rightful or de jure meaning, and we may hope that scholarly writers will keep it alive." [Fowler]
monopoly
"exclusive control of a commodity or trade," 1530s, from L. monopolium, from Gk. monopolion "right of exclusive sale," from mono- (q.v.) + polein "to sell," from PIE base *pel- "to sell, purchase, barter, gain" (cf. Skt. panate "barters, purchases," Lith. pelnas "gain," O.C.S. splenu, Rus. polon "prey, booty," O.N. falr, Du. veil, Ger. feil "for sale, venal"). The popular board game, invented by Charles Darrow, is from 1935. Monopoly money "unreal currency" is attested from 1972, in ref. to the game.
rate (n.)
"estimated value or worth," 1425, from M.Fr. rate "price, value," from M.L. rata (pars) "fixed (amount)," from L. rata "fixed, settled," fem. pp. of reri "to reckon, think" (see reason). Meaning "degree of speed" (prop. ratio between distance and time) is attested from 1652. Currency exchange sense first recorded 1727. The verb "to estimate the worth or value of" is from 1599. First-rate, second-rate, etc. are 1649, from British Navy division of ships into six classes based on size and strength. Phrase at any rate originally (1619) meant "at any cost;" weakened sense of "at least" is attested by 1760.
ducat
late 14c., from O.Fr. ducat, from It. ducato, from M.L. ducatus "coin," originally "duchy," from dux (gen. ducis) "duke" (see duke). So called for the name or effigy of Roger II of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, which first issued the coins (c.1140). The legend on them read, "Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus." Byzantine emperor Constantine X had the Gk. form doux struck on his coins during his reign (1059-1067). Over the years it was a unit of currency of varying value in Holland, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Venice, etc. Remained popular in slang for "money" or "ticket" from its prominence in "The Merchant of Venice."
mischief
c.1300, "evil condition, misfortune, need, want," from O.Fr. meschief (Fr. méchef), verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate" (opposite of achieve), from mes- "badly" (see mis- (2)) + chever "happen, come to a head," from V.L. *capare "head," from L. caput "head" (see head). Meaning "harm or evil considered as the work of some agent or due to some cause" is from late 15c. Sense of "playful malice" first recorded 1784. Mischief Night in 19c. England was the eve of May Day and of Nov. 5, both major holidays, and perhaps the original point was pilfering for the next day's celebration and bonfire; but in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland the night was Halloween. The useful M.E. verb mischieve (early 14c.) has, for some reason, fallen from currency.
groove
c.1400, from O.N. grod "pit," or M.Du. groeve "furrow, ditch," from P.Gmc. *grobo (cf. O.N. grof "brook, river bed," O.H.G. gruoba "ditch," Goth. groba "pit, cave," O.E. græf "ditch"), related to grave (n.). Sense of "long, narrow channel or furrow" is 1659. Meaning "spiral cut in a phonograph record" is from 1902. Fig. sense of "routine" is from 1842, often depreciatory at first, "a rut." Adj. groovy is 1853 in lit. sense of "of a groove;" 1937 in slang sense of "excellent," from jazz slang phrase in the groove (1932) "performing well (without grandstanding)." As teen slang for "wonderful," it dates from 1944; popularized 1960s, out of currency by 1980.
optimism
1782, from Fr. optimisme (1737), from Mod.L. optimum, used by Leibnitz (in Théodicée, 1710) to mean "the greatest good," from L. optimus "the best" (see optimum). The doctrine holds that the actual world is the "best of all possible worlds," in which the creator accomplishes the most good at the cost of the least evil.
"En termes de l'art, il l'appelle la raison du meilleur ou plus savamment encore, et Theologiquement autant que Géométriquement, le systême de l'Optimum, ou l'Optimisme." [Mémoires de Trévoux, Feb. 1737]
Launched out of philosophical jargon and into currency by Voltaire's satire on it in "Candide." General sense of "belief that good ultimately will prevail in the world" first attested 1841 in Emerson; meaning "tendency to take a hopeful view of things" first recorded 1819 in Shelley.
wad
1540, "soft material for padding or stuffing," of uncertain origin, and the different meanings may represent more than one source. Among the possible connections are M.L. wadda, Du. watten, and M.E. wadmal (1392) "woolen cloth," which seems to be from O.N. vaðmal "a woolen fabric of Scandinavia," probably from vað "cloth" + mal "measure." The meaning "bundle of currency" is Amer.Eng., 1778. The verb is first recorded 1579. To shoot (one's) wad "do all one can do" is recorded from 1914. The immediate source of the expression probably is the noun sense of "disk of cloth used to hold powder and shot in place in a gun." Wad in slang sense of "a load of semen" is attested from 1920s, and the expression now often is felt in this sense. As a suffix, -wad in 1980s joined -bag, -ball, -head in combinations meaning "disgusting or unpleasant person."
money
late 13c., "coinage, metal currency," from O.Fr. moneie, from L. moneta "mint, coinage," from Moneta, a title of the Roman goddess Juno, in or near whose temple money was coined; perhaps from monere "advise, warn" (see monitor), with the sense of "admonishing goddess," which is sensible, but the etymology is difficult. Extended early 19c. to include paper money. To make money "earn pay" is first attested mid-15c. Highwayman's threat your money or your life first attested 1841. Phrase in the money (1902) originally meant "one who finishes among the prize-winners" (in a horse race, etc.). The challenge to put (one's) money where (one's) mouth is is first recorded 1942. Moneybags "rich person" is from 1818; money-grub "one who is sordidly intent on amassing money" is from 1768.
"I am not interested in money but in the things of which money is the symbol." [Henry Ford]
some
O.E. sum "some," from P.Gmc. *sumas (cf. O.S., O.Fris., O.H.G. sum, O.N. sumr, Goth. sums), from PIE base *sem- "one, as one" (cf. Skt. samah "even, level, similar, identical;" Gk. hamo-; see same).
"The word has had greater currency in English than in the other Teutonic languages, in some of which it is now restricted to dialect use, or represented only by derivatives or compounds, as WFris. sommige, somlike, Du. sommige (also somtiids, sommijlen 'sometimes'), LG sömige (G. dial. summige)." [OED]
Meaning "remarkable" is attested from 1808, Amer.Eng. colloquial. A possessive form is attested from 1565, but always was rare. Many combination forms (somewhat, sometime, somewhere) were in M.E. but often written as two words till 17-19c.; somehow is from 1664 (first attested in phrase somehow or other); something once was very common as an adv. (cf. something like). Somebody in the sense of "important person" dates from 1566. Somewhen is rare and since 19c. used almost exclusively in combination with more common compounds. Get some "have sexual intercourse" is attested 1899 in a quote attributed to Abe Lincoln from c.1840.
Whig
British political party, 1657, in part perhaps a disparaging use of whigg "a country bumpkin" (c.1645); but mainly a shortened form of Whiggamore (1649) "one of the adherents of the Presbyterian cause in western Scotland who marched on Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose Charles I." Perhaps originally "a horse drover," from dialectal verb whig "to urge forward" + mare. The name was first used 1689 in reference to members of the British political party that opposed the Tories. American Revolution sense of "colonist who opposes Crown policies" is from 1768. Later it was applied to opponents of Andrew Jackson (as early as 1825), and taken as the name of a political party (1834) that merged into the Republican Party in 1854-56.
"... in the spring of 1834 Jackson's opponents adopted the name Whig, traditional term for critics of executive usurpations. James Watson Webb, editor of the New York Courier and Enquirer, encouraged use of the name. [Henry] Clay gave it national currency in a speech on April 14, 1834, likening "the whigs of the present day" to those who had resisted George III, and by summer it was official." [Daniel Walker Howe, "What Hath God Wrought," 2007, p.390]
Whig historian is recorded from 1924. Whig history is "the tendency in many historians ... to emphasise certain principles of progress in the past and to produce a story which is the ratification if not the glorification of the present." [Herbert Butterfield, "The Whig Interpretation of History," 1931]
from "Online Etymology Dictionary":
1657, "condition of flowing," from L. currentum, pp. of currere "to run" (see current); the sense of a flow or course extended 1699 (by John Locke) to "circulation of money."
cent
c.1400, from L. centum "hundred" (see hundred). M.E. meaning was "one hundred," but shifted to "hundredth part" under infl. of percent. Chosen in this sense in 1786 as name for U.S. currency unit by Continental Congress. The name was first suggested by Robert Morris in 1782 under a different currency plan. Before the cent, colonial dollars were reckoned in ninetieths, based on the exchange rate of Pennsylvania money and Spanish coin.
depreciation
1767, "a lowering of value" (originally of currency), noun of action from depreciate. Meaning "loss of value of a durable good by age or wear" is from 1900.
dollar
1553, from Low Ger. daler, from Ger. taler (1540, later thaler), abbrev. of Joachimstaler, lit. "(gulden) of Joachimstal," coin minted 1519 from silver from mine opened 1516 near Joachimstal, town in Erzgebirge Mountains in northwest Bohemia. Ger. Tal is cognate with Eng. dale. Ger. thaler was a large silver coin of varying value in the Ger. states (and a unit of the Ger. monetary union of 1857-73 equal to three marks); it was also a currency unit in Denmark and Sweden. Eng. colonists in America used the word in ref. to Spanish pieces of eight. Continental Congress July 6, 1785, adopted dollar when it set up U.S. currency, on suggestion of Gouverneur Morris and Thomas Jefferson, because the term was widely known but not British. But none were actually used until 1794. The dollar sign ($) is said to derive from the image of the Pillars of Hercules, stamped with a scroll, on the Spanish piece of eight. Phrase dollars to doughnuts attested from 1890; dollar diplomacy is from 1910.
deflation
1891, "release of air," from deflate + -ion. In reference to currency, from 1920.
attrit (v.)
1956, U.S. Air Force back-formation from attrition which attained currency during the Vietnam War. (A 17c. attempt at a verb produced attrite).
croup
"couching illness," 1765, from obsolete verb croup "to cry hoarsely, croak," probably echoic. This was the local name of the disease in southeastern Scotland, given wide currency by Dr. Francis Home (1719-1813) of Edinburgh in his 1765 article on it.
ruble
unit of Rus. monetary system, 1554, via Fr., from Rus. rubl', perhaps from rubiti "to chop, cut," so called because the original metallic currency of Russia (14c.) consisted of silver bars, from which the necessary amount was cut off.
yuan
Chinese unit of currency introduced 1914, from Chinese yuan "round, round object, circle."
scrip
"a certificate of a right to receive something (esp. a stock share)," 1762, probably shortened from (sub)scrip(tion) receipt. Originally "receipt for a portion of a loan subscribed," meaning "certificate issued as currency" first recorded 1790.
devaluation
1898, from de- + valuation. Specific application to currency is from 1914.
spondulicks
1856, Amer.Eng. slang, "money, cash," of unknown origin, said to be from Gk. spondylikos, from spondylos, a seashell used as currency (the Gk. word means lit. "vertebra"). Used by Mark Twain and O.Henry and adopted into British English, where it survives despite having died in Amer.Eng.
l.s.d.
abbreviation of British currency units, from L. librae, soldi, denarii, Roman equivalent of "pounds, shillings, pence."
blarney
1796, from Blarney Stone (which is said to make a persuasive flatterer of any who kiss it), in a castle near Cork, Ireland; reached wide currency through Lady Blarny, the smooth-talking flatterer in Goldsmith's "Vicar of Wakefield" (1766).
petrodollar
1974, "surplus of petroleum exports over imports of all other goods," as a notational unit of currency (in ref. to OPEC nations), formed in Eng. from petro-, comb. form of petroleum (q.v.) + dollar.
deflate
1891, in reference to balloons, coinage based on inflate. L. deflare meant "to blow away," but in the modern word the prefix is taken in the sense of "down." Deflation in reference to currency or economic situations is from 1920.
par
1622, "equality," also "value of one currency in terms of another," from L. par "equal, that which is equal, equality" (see pair). Meaning "average or usual amount" is first attested 1767. Golf usage is first attested 1898. Figurative use of par for the course is from 1947.
speakeasy
"unlicensed saloon," 1889 (in New York "Voice"), from speak + easy, from the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police and neighbors. The word gained wide currency in U.S. during Prohibition (1920-1932). In early 19c. Ir. and British dialect, a speak softly shop meant "smuggler's den."
fiduciary
1640, from L. fiduciarius "(holding) in trust," from fidere "to trust" (see faith). In Roman law, fiducia was "a right transferred in trust;" paper currency sense (1878) is because its value depends on the trust of the public.
mill (n.2)
"one-tenth cent," 1791, introduced as a U.S. currency unit but now only used for tax calculation purposes, shortening of L. millesimum "one-thousandth," from mille "a thousand" (see mile). Formed on the analogy of cent, which is short for L. centesimus "one hundredth" (of a dollar).
casualty
1423, "chance, accident," from L. casualis (see casual) on model of royalty, penalty, etc. Casuality had some currency 16c.-17c. but is now obsolete. Meaning "losses in numbers from a military or other troop" is from 1494. Meaning an individual so lost is from 1844.
asymmetrical
1680s, from asymmetry (q.v.). Other forms that have served as an adj. based on asymmetry are asymmetral (1620s), asymmetrous (1660s), and asymmetric (1875); only the last seems to have any currency.
gloaming
O.E. glomung, formed (probably on model of æfning "evening") from glom "twilight," related to glowan "to glow," hence "glow of sunrise or sunset," from P.Gmc. *glo- (see glow). Fell from currency except in Yorkshire dialect, but preserved in Scotland and reintroduced by Burns and other Scottish writers after 1785.
glee
O.E. gliu "entertainment, mirth, jest," presumably from a P.Gmc. *gliujan but absent in other Gmc. languages except for the rare O.N. gly. In O.E., an entertainer was a gleuman. A poetic word in M.E., obsolete c.1500-c.1700, it somehow found its way back to currency late 18c. Glee club (1814) is from the secondary O.E. sense of "unaccompanied part-song," as a form of musical entertainment.
hub
1511, perhaps from hubbe, originally "lump," the source of hob of a fireplace and hobnail, as in boots. A wheelwright's word, not generally known or used until c.1828; it reached wider currency in connection with bicycles. Meaning "center of interest or activity or importance" first recorded 1858 in writings of Oliver W. Holmes.
"Boston State-House is the hub of the solar system." [O.W. Holmes, "Autocrat of the Breakfast Table"]
Hub cap first recorded 1913.
Krugerrand
1967, South African gold coin (issued for investment purposes) bearing a portrait of Transvaal President Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (1825-1904); second element is rand, unit of decimal currency introduced in Republic of South Africa 1961, named for The Rand, gold-mining area in Transvaal, short for Witwatersrand.
dime
chosen 1786 as name for U.S. 10 cent coin, from dime "a tenth, tithe" (late 14c.), from O.Fr. disme, from L. decima (pars) "tenth (part)," from decem "ten" (see ten). The verb meaning "to inform" (on someone) is 1960s, from the then-cost of a pay phone call. A dime a dozen "almost worthless" first recorded 1930. Phrase stop on a dime attested by 1954 (a dime being the physically smallest unit of U.S. currency).
numismatics
1829, "study of coins," from numismatic (adj.) "of coins," borrowed 1792 from Fr. numismatique (1579), from L. numisma (gen. numismatis) "coin, currency," from Gk. nomisma "current coin," lit. "what has been sanctioned by custom or usage," from nomizein "have in use, adopt a custom," from nomos "custom, law, usage," from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (see nemesis).
shin
O.E. scinu "shin," from P.Gmc. *skino "thin piece" (cf. Du. scheen, O.H.G. scina, Ger. Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE base *skei- "to cut, split." The verb meaning "to climb by using arms and legs" (originally a nautical word) is recorded from 1829. A shin-plaster was a piece of paper soaked in vinegar and used to treat sore legs; in U.S. history, it was used jocularly for "devalued low-denomination paper currency" (1824). Shin splints is attested from 1930.
linden
"the lime tree," O.E., originally an adj., "of linden wood," from O.E. lind "linden" (n.), from P.Gmc. *lindo (cf. O.S. linda, O.N. lind, O.H.G. linta, Ger. linde), probably from PIE *lent- "flexible," with ref. to the tree's pliant bast. "The recent currency of the word is prob. due to its use in translations of German romance, as an adoption of G. linden pl. of linde, or as the first element in the comb. lindenbaum = 'linden-tree.' " [OED]
below
early 14c., biloogh, from be- "by" + logh, lou, lowe "low." Apparently a variant of earlier a-lowe (influenced by other advs. in be-, cf. before), the parallel form to an-high (now on high). Beneath was the usual word; below was very rare in M.E. and only gained currency in 16c. It is frequent in Shakespeare. Below is the opposite of above and concerns difference of level and suggests comparison of independent things. Under is the opposite of over and is concerned with superposition and subjection and suggests some interrelation.
spelt
O.E. spelt, perhaps an early borrowing from L.L. spelta "spelt" (c.400, noted as a foreign word), which is perhaps ult. from PIE base *spel- "to split, to break off" (probably in ref. to the splitting of its husks in threshing), which is related to the root of flint. The word had little currency in Eng., and its history is discontinuous. Widespread in Romanic languages (cf. It. spelta, Sp. espelta, O.Fr. spelte, Mod.Fr. épeautre). The word also is widespread in Gmc. (cf. O.H.G. spelta, Ger. Spelt), and a Gmc. language is perhaps the source of the L.L. word.
obnoxious
1581, from L. obnoxiosus "hurtful, injurious," from obnoxius "subject to harm," from ob "to, toward" + noxa "injury, hurt, damage entailing liability" (see noxious). Originally "subject to authority, subject to something harmful;" meaning "offensive, hateful" is first recorded 1675, influenced by noxious (q.v.).
"Obnoxious has two very different senses, one of which (exposed or open or liable to attack or injury) requires notice because its currency is now so restricted that it is puzzling to the uninstructed. It is the word's rightful or de jure meaning, and we may hope that scholarly writers will keep it alive." [Fowler]
monopoly
"exclusive control of a commodity or trade," 1530s, from L. monopolium, from Gk. monopolion "right of exclusive sale," from mono- (q.v.) + polein "to sell," from PIE base *pel- "to sell, purchase, barter, gain" (cf. Skt. panate "barters, purchases," Lith. pelnas "gain," O.C.S. splenu, Rus. polon "prey, booty," O.N. falr, Du. veil, Ger. feil "for sale, venal"). The popular board game, invented by Charles Darrow, is from 1935. Monopoly money "unreal currency" is attested from 1972, in ref. to the game.
rate (n.)
"estimated value or worth," 1425, from M.Fr. rate "price, value," from M.L. rata (pars) "fixed (amount)," from L. rata "fixed, settled," fem. pp. of reri "to reckon, think" (see reason). Meaning "degree of speed" (prop. ratio between distance and time) is attested from 1652. Currency exchange sense first recorded 1727. The verb "to estimate the worth or value of" is from 1599. First-rate, second-rate, etc. are 1649, from British Navy division of ships into six classes based on size and strength. Phrase at any rate originally (1619) meant "at any cost;" weakened sense of "at least" is attested by 1760.
ducat
late 14c., from O.Fr. ducat, from It. ducato, from M.L. ducatus "coin," originally "duchy," from dux (gen. ducis) "duke" (see duke). So called for the name or effigy of Roger II of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, which first issued the coins (c.1140). The legend on them read, "Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus." Byzantine emperor Constantine X had the Gk. form doux struck on his coins during his reign (1059-1067). Over the years it was a unit of currency of varying value in Holland, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Venice, etc. Remained popular in slang for "money" or "ticket" from its prominence in "The Merchant of Venice."
mischief
c.1300, "evil condition, misfortune, need, want," from O.Fr. meschief (Fr. méchef), verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate" (opposite of achieve), from mes- "badly" (see mis- (2)) + chever "happen, come to a head," from V.L. *capare "head," from L. caput "head" (see head). Meaning "harm or evil considered as the work of some agent or due to some cause" is from late 15c. Sense of "playful malice" first recorded 1784. Mischief Night in 19c. England was the eve of May Day and of Nov. 5, both major holidays, and perhaps the original point was pilfering for the next day's celebration and bonfire; but in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland the night was Halloween. The useful M.E. verb mischieve (early 14c.) has, for some reason, fallen from currency.
groove
c.1400, from O.N. grod "pit," or M.Du. groeve "furrow, ditch," from P.Gmc. *grobo (cf. O.N. grof "brook, river bed," O.H.G. gruoba "ditch," Goth. groba "pit, cave," O.E. græf "ditch"), related to grave (n.). Sense of "long, narrow channel or furrow" is 1659. Meaning "spiral cut in a phonograph record" is from 1902. Fig. sense of "routine" is from 1842, often depreciatory at first, "a rut." Adj. groovy is 1853 in lit. sense of "of a groove;" 1937 in slang sense of "excellent," from jazz slang phrase in the groove (1932) "performing well (without grandstanding)." As teen slang for "wonderful," it dates from 1944; popularized 1960s, out of currency by 1980.
optimism
1782, from Fr. optimisme (1737), from Mod.L. optimum, used by Leibnitz (in Théodicée, 1710) to mean "the greatest good," from L. optimus "the best" (see optimum). The doctrine holds that the actual world is the "best of all possible worlds," in which the creator accomplishes the most good at the cost of the least evil.
"En termes de l'art, il l'appelle la raison du meilleur ou plus savamment encore, et Theologiquement autant que Géométriquement, le systême de l'Optimum, ou l'Optimisme." [Mémoires de Trévoux, Feb. 1737]
Launched out of philosophical jargon and into currency by Voltaire's satire on it in "Candide." General sense of "belief that good ultimately will prevail in the world" first attested 1841 in Emerson; meaning "tendency to take a hopeful view of things" first recorded 1819 in Shelley.
wad
1540, "soft material for padding or stuffing," of uncertain origin, and the different meanings may represent more than one source. Among the possible connections are M.L. wadda, Du. watten, and M.E. wadmal (1392) "woolen cloth," which seems to be from O.N. vaðmal "a woolen fabric of Scandinavia," probably from vað "cloth" + mal "measure." The meaning "bundle of currency" is Amer.Eng., 1778. The verb is first recorded 1579. To shoot (one's) wad "do all one can do" is recorded from 1914. The immediate source of the expression probably is the noun sense of "disk of cloth used to hold powder and shot in place in a gun." Wad in slang sense of "a load of semen" is attested from 1920s, and the expression now often is felt in this sense. As a suffix, -wad in 1980s joined -bag, -ball, -head in combinations meaning "disgusting or unpleasant person."
money
late 13c., "coinage, metal currency," from O.Fr. moneie, from L. moneta "mint, coinage," from Moneta, a title of the Roman goddess Juno, in or near whose temple money was coined; perhaps from monere "advise, warn" (see monitor), with the sense of "admonishing goddess," which is sensible, but the etymology is difficult. Extended early 19c. to include paper money. To make money "earn pay" is first attested mid-15c. Highwayman's threat your money or your life first attested 1841. Phrase in the money (1902) originally meant "one who finishes among the prize-winners" (in a horse race, etc.). The challenge to put (one's) money where (one's) mouth is is first recorded 1942. Moneybags "rich person" is from 1818; money-grub "one who is sordidly intent on amassing money" is from 1768.
"I am not interested in money but in the things of which money is the symbol." [Henry Ford]
some
O.E. sum "some," from P.Gmc. *sumas (cf. O.S., O.Fris., O.H.G. sum, O.N. sumr, Goth. sums), from PIE base *sem- "one, as one" (cf. Skt. samah "even, level, similar, identical;" Gk. hamo-; see same).
"The word has had greater currency in English than in the other Teutonic languages, in some of which it is now restricted to dialect use, or represented only by derivatives or compounds, as WFris. sommige, somlike, Du. sommige (also somtiids, sommijlen 'sometimes'), LG sömige (G. dial. summige)." [OED]
Meaning "remarkable" is attested from 1808, Amer.Eng. colloquial. A possessive form is attested from 1565, but always was rare. Many combination forms (somewhat, sometime, somewhere) were in M.E. but often written as two words till 17-19c.; somehow is from 1664 (first attested in phrase somehow or other); something once was very common as an adv. (cf. something like). Somebody in the sense of "important person" dates from 1566. Somewhen is rare and since 19c. used almost exclusively in combination with more common compounds. Get some "have sexual intercourse" is attested 1899 in a quote attributed to Abe Lincoln from c.1840.
Whig
British political party, 1657, in part perhaps a disparaging use of whigg "a country bumpkin" (c.1645); but mainly a shortened form of Whiggamore (1649) "one of the adherents of the Presbyterian cause in western Scotland who marched on Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose Charles I." Perhaps originally "a horse drover," from dialectal verb whig "to urge forward" + mare. The name was first used 1689 in reference to members of the British political party that opposed the Tories. American Revolution sense of "colonist who opposes Crown policies" is from 1768. Later it was applied to opponents of Andrew Jackson (as early as 1825), and taken as the name of a political party (1834) that merged into the Republican Party in 1854-56.
"... in the spring of 1834 Jackson's opponents adopted the name Whig, traditional term for critics of executive usurpations. James Watson Webb, editor of the New York Courier and Enquirer, encouraged use of the name. [Henry] Clay gave it national currency in a speech on April 14, 1834, likening "the whigs of the present day" to those who had resisted George III, and by summer it was official." [Daniel Walker Howe, "What Hath God Wrought," 2007, p.390]
Whig historian is recorded from 1924. Whig history is "the tendency in many historians ... to emphasise certain principles of progress in the past and to produce a story which is the ratification if not the glorification of the present." [Herbert Butterfield, "The Whig Interpretation of History," 1931]
from "Online Etymology Dictionary":
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