Online Etymology Dictionary

major (n.): military rank, 1643, from Fr., short for sergent-major, originally a higher rank than at present, from M.L. major "chief officer, magnate, superior person," from L. major "an elder, adult," noun use of the adjective (see major (adj.)).
major-domo: 1589, via It. maggiordomo or Sp. mayordomo, from M.L. major domus "chief of the household," also "mayor of the palace" under the Merovingians, from L. major "greater" + gen. of domus "house" (see domestic).
majority: 1552, "condition of being greater, superiority," from M.Fr. majorité, from M.L. majoritatem (nom. majoritas) "majority," from L. major "greater" (see major). Sense of "state of being of full age" is attested from c.1565; meaning "greater number or part" (of votes, etc.) first recorded 1691.
major (adj.): c.1400, from L. major (earlier *magjos), irregular comp. of magnus "large, great" (see magnate). Used in music (of modes, scales, or chords) since 1694, on notion of an interval a half-tone greater than the minor. The verb meaning "focus (one's) studies" is 1924, from noun in sense of "subject of specialization" (1890). The adv. form majorly emerged c.1990.
majorette: "baton-twirler," 1941, originally drum-majorette (1938), fem. of drum-major (1598).
bogey (2): in golfing, c.1892, originally "number of strokes a good player is supposed to need for a given hole or course," later, "score one over par" (1946), from the same source as bogey (1), on the notion of a "phantom" opponent, represented by the "ground score." The word was in vogue at the time in Britain because of the popularity of the music hall tune "Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man."
"One popular song at least has left its permanent effect on the game of golf. That song is 'The Bogey Man.' In 1890 Dr. Thos. Browne, R.N., the hon. secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, was playing against a Major Wellman, the match being against the 'ground score,' which was the name given to the scratch value of each hole. The system of playing against the 'ground score' was new to Major Wellman, and he exclaimed, thinking of the song of the moment, that his mysterious and well-nigh invincible opponent was a regular 'bogey-man.' The name 'caught on' at Great Yarmouth, and to-day 'Bogey' is one of the most feared opponents on all the courses that acknowledge him." [1908, M.A.P.]
Darwinism: 1864, from Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose major works were "The Origin of Species" (1859) and "The Descent of Man" (1871).
movement: late 14c., from move (q.v.). In the musical sense of "major division of a piece" it is attested from 1776; in the political/social sense, from 1828.
B movie: 1930s, usually said to be so called from being the second, or supporting, film in a double feature. But some film industry sources say it was so-called for being the second of the two films major studios generally made in a year, and the one made with less headline talent and released with less promotion.
mayor: c.1300, from O.Fr. maire "head of a city or town government" (13c.), originally "greater, superior" (adj.), from L. maior, major, comp. of magnus "great" (see magnum).
Crip: member of a major U.S. street gang, founded in South Central Los Angeles 1971, the name supposedly originally was cribs, partly a reference to the youth of most of the original members; and altered when they began carrying "pimp canes, to Crip, who has been attested in U.S. slang as a shortening of cripple (n.) since 1918.
Big Dipper: Amer.Eng. name for the seven-star asterism (known in England as Charles' Wain; see Charles's Wain) in the constellation Ursa Major, first attested 1869, but certainly older than that. In Anglo-Saxon times, it was O.E. wænes þisl "pole of the wain."
majolica: It. glazed pottery, 1555, from It. Majolica, 14c. name of island now known as Majorca in the Balearics, from L. major, so called because it is the largest of the three. The best pottery of this type was said to have been made there.
marjoram: 1373, from O.Fr. majorane (13c.), from M.L. maiorana, of uncertain origin, probably ult. from India (cf. Skt. maruva- "marjoram"), with form infl. by L. major "greater."
majesty: c.1300, "greatness, glory," from O.Fr. majeste "grandeur, nobility," from L. majestatem (nom. majestas) "greatness, dignity, honor, excellence," from stem of major (neut. majus), comp. of magnus "great." Earliest Eng. sense is of God, reference to kings and queens (late 14c.) is from Romance languages and descends from the Roman Empire.
merino: "fine-wool breed of sheep," 1781, from Sp., possibly from Ar. Merini, a Berber family or tribe of sheep farmers in northwest Africa whose animals were imported into Spain 14c.-15c. to improve local breeds. Or from L. majorinus, from major "greater," either in ref. to size of the animals or from Sp. derivative merino (n.) "overseer of cattle pastures," also a title of judicial officers.
artery: late 14c., from O.Fr. artaire (13c.; ModFr. artère), from L. arteria, from Gk. arteria "windpipe," also "an artery," as distinct from a vein; related to aeirein "to raise" (see aorta). They were regarded by the ancients as air ducts because the arteries do not contain blood after death; medieval writers took them for the channels of the "vital spirits." The word is used of major rivers from 1805; of railways from 1850.
hamburger: 1889, hamburg steak, from the Ger. city of Hamburg, though no certain connection has ever been put forth, and there may not be one beyond that of Hamburg being a major port of departure for Ger. immigrants to U.S. Shortened form burger attested from 1939; beefburger was attempted 1940, in an attempt to make the main ingredient more explicit, after the -burger had taken on a life of its own as a suffix (cf. cheeseburger, first attested 1938).
tarantella: 1782, "peasant dance popular in Italy," originally "hysterical malady characterized by extreme impulse to dance" (1638), epidemic in Apulia and adjacent parts of southern Italy 15c.-17c., popularly attributed to (or believed to be a cure for) the bite of the tarantula. This is likely folk-etymology, however, and the dance is from Taranto, the name of a city in southern Italy (see tarantula). Used from 1833 to mean the style of music that accompanies this dance, usually in 6/8 time, with whirling triplets and abrupt major-minor modulations.
garrote: 1622, "Spanish method of capital punishment by strangulation," from Sp. garrote "stick for twisting cord," of unknown origin, perhaps from O.Fr. guaroc "club, stick, rod, shaft of a crossbow," probably ultimately Celtic. But possibly from Frank. *wrokkan "to twist" (cf. M.Du. wroken "to twist"). The verb meaning "to execute with a garrote" is from 1851; sense of "choking and then robbing" is from 1852.
"I have no hesitation in pronouncing death by the garrot, at once the most manly, and the least offensive to the eye." [Major John Richardson, "British Legion," 1837]
derby: "type of hat," manufactured in U.S. 1850, name appears 1870, from annual Derby horse race in England, where this type of hat was worn. Race was begun 1780 by the 12th Earl of Derby; Parliament always adjourned for it, and the name was used for any major horse race after 1875. Derby the English shire is O.E. Deorby "deer village," from deor "deer" + by "habitation, homestead," from a Scand. source (see bylaw).
Danube: major river of Europe (Ger. Donau, Hungarian Dona, Rus. Dunaj), from L. Danuvius, from Celtic *danu(w)-yo-, from PIE *danu- "river" (cf. Don, Dnieper, Dniester).
captain: late 14c., "one who stands at the head of others," from O.Fr. capitaine, from L.L. capitaneus "chief," n. use of adj. capitaneus "prominent, chief," from L. caput (gen. capitis) "head" (see head). Military sense of "officer who commands a company" (rank between major and lieutenant) is from 1560s; naval sense of "officer who commands a man-of-war" is from 1550s, extended to "master or commander of a vessel of any kind" by 1704. Sporting sense is first recorded 1823.
Seven Sisters: "the Pleiades," 1412 (see Pleiades), seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, placed among the stars by Zeus. As a name for the major multi-national petroleum companies, it is attested from 1962. They were listed in 1976 as Exxon, Mobil, Gulf, Standard Oil of California, Texaco, British Petroleum, and Royal Dutch Shell. The Pleiades also are known as the Seven Stars (O.E. sibunsterri), though in 15c. this name occasionally was given to the Big Dipper.
FOOL: ... The reason why the
seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.
KING LEAR: Because they are not eight?
FOOL: Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.
["King Lear," Act I, Scene V]
strumpet: c.1327, of uncertain origin. One theory connects it with L. stuprata, fem. pp. of stuprare "have illicit sexual relations with," or L.L. strupum "dishonor, violation." Others suggest M.Du. strompe "a stocking," or strompen "to stride, to stalk" (as a prostitute might a customer). The major sources don't seem to give much preference to any of these. Weekley notes "Gregory's Chronicle (c.1450) has streppett in same sense." In 18c.-early 19c., often abbreviated as strum and also used as a v., which led to some odd dictionary entries:
TO STRUM: to have carnal knowledge of a woman, also to play badly on the harpsichord or any other stringed instrument. [Capt. Francis Grose, "A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1796]
Charles's Wain: O.E. Carles wægn, associated with Charlemagne, originally with the nearby bright star Arcturus (see Arctic), which is linked by folk etymology to L. Arturus "Arthur." The crux of this is the legendary association of Arthur and Charlemagne. Other names for it are the Plough and the Big Dipper; it is an asterism, not a true constellation [technically, it is a part of Ursa Major]. M.E. septentrioun (1530s, but septentronial "northern" is attested from late 14c.) is from L. septentriones (pl.) "seven plow oxen," from septem "seven" + trio (gen. triones) "plow ox," from stem of terere (pt. tritus) "to rub" (see throw).
mickle: dial. survival of O.E. micel, mycel "great, big, many," from P.Gmc. *mekilaz (cf. O.S. mikil, O.N. mikill, O.H.G. mihhil, Goth. mikils), from PIE base *meg(h)- "great, large" (cf. Arm. mets "great;" Skt. mahat- "great, mazah- "greatness;" Avestan mazant- "great;" Hitt. mekkish "great, large;" Gk. megas "great, large;" L. magnus "great, large, much, abundant," major "greater;" M.Ir. mag, maignech "great, large;" M.Welsh meith "long, great"). Its main modern form is much (q.v.).
minor: 1212, from L. minor "lesser, smaller, junior," formed as a masc./fem. of minus on the mistaken assumption that minus was a neut. comparative (see minus), from PIE base *min- "small" (cf. L. minuere, Gk. minythein, O.E. minsian "to diminish," Skt. miyate "diminishes, declines," Rus. men'she "less"). Some Eng. usages are via O.Fr. menor, from L. minor. Meaning "under-age" (adj.) is from 1579; the noun meaning "under-aged person" is from 1612. The musical sense is from 1694. In U.S. colleges and universities, "subject of study with fewer credits than a major," it is attested from 1890. In the baseball sense, minor league is from 1884; the figurative extension is first recorded 1926.
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.
Ionian: "of Ionia," the districts of ancient Greece inhabited by the Ionians (including Attica and the north coast of the Peloponnesus, but especially the coastal strip of Asia Minor, including the islands of Samos and Chios). The name probably is pre-Gk., perhaps related to Skt. yoni "womb, vulva," and a ref. to goddess-worshipping people. Also used of the sea that lies between Italy and the northern Peloponnesus (1632). The musical Ionian mode (1844) corresponds to our basic major scale but was characterized by the Greeks as soft and effeminate. The Ionic order of Gk. architecture is attested from 1563.
"The Ionians delighted in wanton dances and songs more than the rest of the Greeks ... and wanton gestures were proverbially termed Ionic motions." [Thomas Robinson, "Archæologica Græca," 1807]
protection: late 14c., from O.Fr. protection (12c.), from L. protectionem "a covering over," from protectus, pp. of protegere "protect, cover in front," from pro- "in front" + tegere "to cover" (see stegosaurus). The O.E. word for "protect" was beorgan. In gangster sense, "freedom from molestation in exchange for money," it is attested from 1860. Ecological sense of "attempted preservation by laws" is from 1880 (originally of wild birds in Britain). Protect (v.) is attested from 1520s. Protectionist in the economics sense is first recorded 1844, from Fr. protectionniste (in political economy sense, protection is attested from 1789). Protectorate "state or territory (usually tribal) placed under the protection of a major power" is from 1860.
Indo-European: 1814, coined by physician, physicist and Egyptologist Thomas Young (1773-1829) and first used in an article in the "Quarterly Review," from Indo-, comb. form of Gk. Indos "India" + European. "Common to India and Europe," specifically in ref. to the group of related languages and to the race or races characterized by their use. The alternative Indo-Germanic (1835) was coined in Ger. 1823 (indogermanisch), based on the two peoples at the extremes of the geographic area covered by the languages, before Celtic was realized also to be an Indo-European language. After this was proved, many Ger. scholars switched to Indo-European as more accurate, but Indo-Germanic continued in use (popularized by the titles of major works) and the predominance of Ger. scholarship in this field made it the popular term in England, too, through the 19c. See also Aryan.
music: c.1250, from O.Fr. musique (12c.), from L. musica, from Gk. mousike techne "art of the Muses," from fem. of mousikos "pertaining to the Muses," from Mousa "Muse." In classical Greece, any art in which the Muses presided, but especially music. Meaning "film or theater piece of which song is an essential element" is from 1938. The use of letters to denote music notes is probably at least from ancient Greece, as their numbering system was ill-suited to the job. Natural scales begin at C (not A) because in ancient times the minor mode was more often used than the major one. The natural minor scale begins at A. To face the music "accept the consequences" is from 1850; the exact image is uncertain, one theory ties it to stage performers, another to cavalry horses having to be taught to stay calm while the regimental band plays. To make (beautiful) music with someone "have sexual intercourse" is from 1967. Children's game musical chairs is attested from 1877, hence use of musical as a modifier meaning "changing rapidly from one to another possessor" (1924). Musicology "the study of the science of music" is from 1909.
sergeant: c.1200, "servant," from O.Fr. sergent, from M.L. servientum (nom. serviens) "servant, vassal, soldier" (in L.L. "public official"), from L. servientem "serving," prp. of servire "to serve" (see serve); cognate with Sp. sirviente, It. servente. Specific sense of "military servant" is attested from late 13c.; that of "officer whose duty is to enforce judgments of a tribunal or legislative body" is from c.1300 (sergeant at arms is attested from late 14c.). Meaning "non-commissioned military officer" first recorded 1540s. Originally a much more important rank than presently. As a police rank, in Great Britain from 1839. Colloquial shortening sarge is attested from 1867. M.E. alternative spelling serjeant (from O.Fr.) was retained in Britain in special use as title of a superior order of barristers (c.1300, from legal L. serviens ad legem, "one who serves (the king) in matters of law"), abolished 1880, from which Common Law judges were chosen; also used of certain other officers of the royal household. sergeant-major is from 1570s.
fuck: a difficult word to trace, in part because it was taboo to the editors of the original OED when the "F" volume was compiled, 1893-97. Written form only attested from early 16c. OED 2nd edition cites 1503, in the form fukkit; earliest appearance of current spelling is 1535 -- "Bischops ... may fuck thair fill and be vnmaryit" [Sir David Lyndesay, "Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaits"], but presumably it is a much more ancient word than that, simply one that wasn't likely to be written in the kind of texts that have survived from O.E. and M.E. Buck cites proper name John le Fucker from 1278. The word apparently is hinted at in a scurrilous 15c. poem, titled "Flen flyys," written in bastard L. and M.E. The relevant line reads:
Non sunt in celi
quia fuccant uuiuys of heli
"They [the monks] are not in heaven because they fuck the wives of Ely." Fuccant is pseudo-L., and in the original it is written in cipher. The earliest examples of the word otherwise are from Scottish, which suggests a Scandinavian origin, perhaps from a word akin to Norw. dial. fukka "copulate," or Swedish dial. focka "copulate, strike, push," and fock "penis." Another theory traces it to M.E. fkye, fike "move restlessly, fidget," which also meant "dally, flirt," and probably is from a general North Sea Gmc. word, cf. M.Du. fokken, Ger. ficken "fuck," earlier "make quick movements to and fro, flick," still earlier "itch, scratch;" the vulgar sense attested from 16c. This would parallel in sense the usual M.E. slang term for "have sexual intercourse," swive, from O.E. swifan "to move lightly over, sweep" (see swivel). Chronology and phonology rule out Shipley's attempt to derive it from M.E. firk "to press hard, beat." As a noun, it dates from 1680. French foutre and Italian fottere look like the Eng. word but are unrelated, derived rather from L. futuere, which is perhaps from PIE base *bhau(t)- "knock, strike off," extended via a figurative use "from the sexual application of violent action" [Shipley; cf. the sexual slang use of bang, etc.]. Popular and Internet derivations from acronyms (and the "pluck yew" fable) are merely ingenious trifling. The O.E. word was hæman, from ham "dwelling, home," with a sense of "take home, co-habit." Fuck was outlawed in print in England (by the Obscene Publications Act, 1857) and the U.S. (by the Comstock Act, 1873). The word may have been shunned in print, but it continued in conversation, especially among soldiers during WWI.
"It became so common that an effective way for the soldier to express this emotion was to omit this word. Thus if a sergeant said, 'Get your ----ing rifles!' it was understood as a matter of routine. But if he said 'Get your rifles!' there was an immediate implication of urgency and danger." [John Brophy, "Songs and Slang of the British Soldier: 1914-1918," pub. 1930]
The legal barriers broke down in the 20th century, with the "Ulysses" decision (U.S., 1933) and "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (U.S., 1959; U.K., 1960). Johnson excluded the word, and fuck wasn't in a single English language dictionary from 1795 to 1965. "The Penguin Dictionary" broke the taboo in the latter year. Houghton Mifflin followed, in 1969, with "The American Heritage Dictionary," but it also published a "Clean Green" edition without the word, to assure itself access to the lucrative public high school market. The abbreviation F (or eff) probably began as euphemistic, but by 1943 it was being used as a cuss word, too. In 1948, the publishers of "The Naked and the Dead" persuaded Norman Mailer to use the euphemism fug instead. When Mailer later was introduced to Dorothy Parker, she greeted him with, "So you're the man who can't spell 'fuck' " [The quip sometimes is attributed to Tallulah Bankhead]. Hemingway used muck in "For whom the Bell Tolls" (1940). The major breakthrough in publication was James Jones' "From Here to Eternity" (1950), with 50 fucks (down from 258 in the original manuscript). Egyptian legal agreements from the 23rd Dynasty (749-21 B.C.E.) frequently include the phrase, "If you do not obey this decree, may a donkey copulate with you!" [Reinhold Aman, "Maledicta," Summer 1977]. Intensive form mother-fucker suggested from 1928; motherfucking is from 1933. Fuck-all "nothing" first recorded 1960. Verbal phrase fuck up "to ruin, spoil, destroy" first attested c.1916. A widespread group of Slavic words (cf. Pol. pierdolić) can mean both "fornicate" and "make a mistake." Flying fuck originally meant "have sex on horseback" and is first attested c.1800 in broadside ballad "New Feats of Horsemanship." For the unkillable urban legend that this word is an acronym of some sort (a fiction traceable on the Internet to 1995 but probably predating that) see here, and also here.