Online Etymology Dictionary

standard: 1138, "flag or other conspicuous object to serve as a rallying point for a military force," from O.Fr. estandart, probably from Frank. *standhard, lit. "stand fast or firm," a compound of words similar to Gothic standan "to stand" (see stand) and hardus "hard" (see hard). So called because the flag was fixed to a pole or spear and stuck in the ground to stand upright. The other theory connects the O.Fr. word to estendre "to stretch out," from L. extendere (see extend). Meaning "unit of measure" is 1327, from Anglo-Fr., where it was used 13c., and is perhaps metaphoric, the royal standard coming to stand for royal authority in matters like setting weights and measures. Hence the meaning "authoritative or recognized exemplar of quality or correctness" (1477). Meaning "rule, principal or means of judgment" is from 1562. That of "definite level of attainment" is attested from 1711 (e.g. standard of living, 1903). Some senses (e.g. "upright pole," c.1450) seem to be infl. by stand (v.). Standardize is recorded from 1873. Standard-bearer in the figurative sense is from 1561.
titration: 1864, from Fr. titrer, from titre "standard, title" (see title), also "fineness of alloyed gold;" in chemistry, the establishment of a standard strength or degree of concentration of a solution.
troy: 1390, standard system of weights for gems and precious metals, from Troyes, city in France (ancient Tricasses), former site of a fair at which this weight is said to have been used. Many medieval towns had their own standard weights. The pound troy contains 5,760 grains and is divided into 12 ounces.
banner: early 13c., from O.Fr. baniere (Mod.Fr. bannière) "flag, banner, standard," from L.L. bandum "standard," borrowed from a W.Gmc. cognate of Goth. bandwa "a sign" (see band (2)). Of newspaper headlines, from 1913.
hers: c.1300, hires, from her, a double possessive. Possessive pronouns in Mod. Eng. consist of the predicative (mine, thine, his, ours, yours, theirs) that come after the subject, and the attributive (my, thy, his, her, our, your, their) that come before it. In O.E. and early M.E., they were identical. To keep speech fluid, speakers began to affix an -n to the end of my and thy before words that began with vowels. This began late 13c. in the north of England, and by 1500 was standard. Then the predicative and attributive pronouns split, and the pronouns in that class usually took up -s (the regular affix of possession). But the non-standard speech of the Midlands and south of England extended -n throughout (hisn, hern, yourn), a habit attested from 14c. and more regular than the standard speech, which mixes -s and -n.
sub-standard: 1909, from sub- + standard.
are (v.): present pl. indicative of be, from O.E. earun (Mercian), aron (Northumbrian), see be. Also from O.N. cognates. In 17c., began to replace be, ben as first person plural present indicative in standard English. The only non-dialectal survival of be in this sense is the powers that be. But in southwest England, we be (in Devonshire us be) remains non-standard idiom as a contradictory positive ("You people aren't speaking correct English." "Oh, yes we be!").
non-standard: c.1933, a linguist's value-neutral term, in ref. to language formerly stigmatized as "bad" or "vulgar."
qwerty: 1929, from the first six keys on a standard typewriter keyboard, read as though text, from top left. Mechanical typewriter patented 1867; the QWERTY layout itself is said to date to 1887; it is not meant to slow down typists, but to separate the letters in common digraphs (-sh-, -ck-, etc.) to reduce jamming of swing-arms in old-style machines. It actually speeds typing by requiring alternate-hand strokes, which is one reason why the alternative DVORAK keyboard is not appreciably faster. Remnants of the original alphabetic typewriter keyboard remain in the second row of letter keys: FGH-JKL. The Fr. standard was AZERTY; in Ger., QWERTZ; in It., QZERTY.
sh-: sound represented in O.E. by -sc- (e.g. fisc "fish"), which originally was pronounced "-sk-" but which by late O.E. had softened to "-sh-." Modern words with -sc- mostly are foreign (generally Scand.) imports. The "sh" sound did not exist in O.Fr., so Fr. scribes after the Norman conquest often represented it with -ssh- in medial and final positions, and sch- in initial positions. The spelling -sh- has been standard since Caxton, and probably is a worn-down form of M.E. -sch-. In some E. Anglian texts from 14c.-15c., x- is used (e.g. xal, xulde for shall, should), which would have given the language a very different look had it prevailed, but the London-based sh- ended up as the standard form.
Asperger's Syndrome: 1981, in ref. to Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger (1906-1980), who described it in 1944. A standard diagnosis since 1992.
caddy: 1792, from Malay kati a weight equivalent to about a pound and a half, adopted as a standard by British companies. Apparently the word for a measure of tea was transferred to the chest it was carried in.
ancient (n.): "standard-bearer," 1550s, a corruption of ensign. Archaic, but preserved in Shakespeare's character Aunchient Pistoll in "Henry V."
kn-: Gmc. consonant cluster, still evident in most sister languages but in Eng. it has been reduced to n- in standard pronunciation since before 1750, and for about a century before that it had been pronounced hn-, dn-, tn-. It was fully voiced in O.E. and M.E.
coolth: 1547, from cool on the model of warmth. It persists, and was used by Pound, Tolkien, Kipling, etc., but it never has shaken its odor of facetiousness and become standard.
criterion: 1660s, from Gk. kriterion "means for judging, standard," from krites "judge."
Sheila: fem. proper name, Ir. equivalent of Celia, shortened form of Cecilia (see Cecil). A standard type of an Ir. women's name since 1828; slang for "girlfriend, young woman" dates from 1839.
always: mid-14c., compound of O.E. phrase ealne weg "always, quite, perpetually," lit. "all the way," with accusative of space or distance, though the oldest recorded usages refer to time. The adverbial genitive -s appeared early 13c. and is now the standard, though the variant alway survived into 1800s.
deci-: in the metric system, prefix denoting weights of one-tenth of the standard unit of measure, 1801, from Fr., from L. decimus "tenth," from decem "ten" (see ten).
pendragon: "Welsh warlord" (mainly known now in Arthurian Uther Pendragon), 1470, title of a chief leader in war of ancient Britain or Wales, from pen "head" + dragon (q.v.), which figured on the standard of a cohort.
conformism: 1890, "tendency or need to conform" to some group standard, from conform + -ism. In religion, from c.1902. In geology from c.1912. Modern, general sociological sense (social conformism) popularized from c.1948.
guidon: "small flag," 1548, from M.Fr., from It. guidone "battle standard," from guidare "to direct, guide," from O.Prov. guidar (see guide).
crawl: c.1200, crewlen, from a Scand. source, perhaps O.N. krafla "to claw (one's way)." If there was an O.E. *craflian, it has not been recorded. Swimming sense is from 1903, the stroke developed by Frederick Cavill, well-known English swimmer who emigrated to Australia and modified the standard stroke of the day after observing South Seas islanders. So called because the swimmer's motion in the water resembles crawling.
quire (1): early 13c., "set of four folded pages for a book, pamphlet consisting of a single quire," from Anglo-Fr. quier, O.Fr. quaier, from V.L. *quaternus, from L. quaterni "four each," from quater "four times." Meaning "standard unit for selling paper" first recorded late 14c.
irregardless: an erroneous word that, etymologically, means the exact opposite of what it is used to express, attested in non-standard writing from at least 1870s (e.g. "Portsmouth Times," Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.A., April 11, 1874: "We supported the six successful candidates for Council in the face of a strong opposition. We were led to do so because we believed every man of them would do his whole duty, irregardless of party, and the columns of this paper for one year has [sic] told what is needed."); probably a blend of irrespective and regardless. Perhaps inspired by the double negative used as an emphatic.
sulfate: 1790 (sulphat), from Fr. sulphate (1787), from Mod.L. sulphatum acidum, from L. sulpur, sulphur (see sulfur) + chemical ending -ate. The spelling with -ph- is standard in Britain.
oriflamme: sacred banner of St. Denis, late 15c., from O.Fr. orie flame, from L. aurea flamma "golden flame." The ancient battle standard of the kings of France, it was of red or orange-red silk, with two or three points, and was given to the kings by the abbot of St. Denis on setting out to war. Cotgrave says it was "borne at first onely in warres made against Infidells; but afterwards vsed in all other warres; and at length vtterly lost in a battell against the Flemings." It is last mentioned in an abbey inventory of 1534.
boss (1): "overseer," 1649, Amer.Eng., from Du. baas "a master," origin obscure; original sense seems to have been "uncle," so perhaps it is related to O.H.G. basa "aunt." The Du. form baas is attested in Eng. from 1625 as the standard title of a Du. ship's captain. Its popularity in U.S. may reflect egalitarian avoidance of master. The verb is from 1856. The slang adjective meaning "excellent" is first recorded 1880s.
lemon (2): "worthless thing," 1909, Amer.Eng. slang; from lemon (1), perhaps via criminal slang sense of "a person who is a loser, a simpleton," which is perhaps from the notion of someone a sharper can "suck the juice out of." A pool hall hustle was called a lemon game (1908); while to hand someone a lemon was British slang (1906) for "to pass off a sub-standard article as a good one." Or it simply may be a metaphor for something which "leaves a bad taste in one's mouth."
neocon: by 1987, abbreviation for neo-conservative in the U.S. political sense.
"Neoconservatism is the first variant of American conservatism in the past century that is in the 'American grain.' It is hopeful, not lugubrious; forward-looking, not nostalgic; and its general tone is cheerful, not grim or dyspeptic. Its 20th-century heroes tend to be TR, FDR, and Ronald Reagan. Such Republican and conservative worthies as Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, and Barry Goldwater are politely overlooked." [Irving Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion," in "The Weekly Standard," Aug. 25, 2003]
classic: 1613, from Fr. classique, from L. classicus "relating to the (highest) classes of the Roman people," hence, "superior," from classis (see class). Originally in Eng. "of the first class;" meaning "belonging to standard authors of Gk. and Roman antiquity" is attested from 1620s. Classics is 1711; classical is 1599, "of the highest rank." Of music, first recorded 1836.
could: O.E. cuðe, pt. of cunnan "to be able" (see can (v.)); ending changed 14c. to standard Eng. -d(e). The -l- was added 16c. on model of would, should, where it is historic.
tire (n.): 1485, "iron rim of a carriage wheel," probably from tire "equipment, dress, covering" (c.1300), an aphetic form of attire. The notion is of the tire as the dressing of the wheel. The original spelling was tyre, which had shifted to tire in 17c.-18c., but since early 19c. tyre has been revived in Great Britain and become standard there. Rubber ones, for bicycles (later automobiles) are from 1870s.
norm: "standard, pattern, model," 1821, from Fr. norme, from O.Fr., from L. norma "carpenter's square, rule, pattern," of unknown origin. Klein suggests a borrowing (via Etruscan) of Gk. gnomon "carpenter's square." The L. form of the word, norma, was used in Eng. in the sense of "carpenter's square" from 1676.
zymurgy: branch of chemistry which deals with wine-making and brewing, 1868, from Gk. zymo-, comb. form of zyme "a leaven" (from PIE base *yus-; see juice) + -ourgia "a working," from ergon "work" (see urge (v.)). The last word in many standard English dictionaries; but in the OED [2nd ed.] the last word is zyxt, an obsolete Kentish form of the second person singular of see (v.).
plus: 1579, the oral rendering of the arithmetical sign +, from L. plus "more" (comparative of multus "much"), altered by influence of minus from *pleos, from PIE *ple- "full" (see plenary). Placed after a whole number to indicate "and a little more," it is attested from 1902. As a conj., "and," it is Amer.Eng. colloquial, attested from 1968. Plus fours (1921) were four inches longer in the leg than standard knickerbockers, to produce an overhang, originally a style assoc. with golfers. The plus-sign itself has been well-known since at least 1489 and is perhaps an abbreviation of L. et (see etc.).
vane: "wind indicator," 1425, southern England alteration (see V) of fane. from O.E. fana "flag, weather-cock," from P.Gmc. *fanon (cf. Goth. fana "piece of cloth," O.H.G. fano, Ger. Fahne "flag, standard"); possibly cognate with L. pannus "piece of cloth."
unit: 1570, "single number regarded as an undivided whole," alteration of unity on the basis of digit. Popularized in John Dee's Eng. translation of Euclid, to express Gk. monas (Dee says unity formerly was used in this sense). Meaning "single thing regarded as a member of a group" is attested from 1642. Extended sense of "a quantity adopted as a standard of measure" is from 1738. Sense of "group of wards in a hospital" is attested from 1893.
revenge: late 14c., from O.Fr. revengier, from re-, intensive prefix, + vengier "take revenge," from L. vindicare "to lay claim to, avenge, punish" (see vindicate).
To avenge is “to get revenge” or “to take vengeance”; it suggests the administration of just punishment for a criminal or immoral act. Revenge seems to stress the idea of retaliation a bit more strongly and implies real hatred as its motivation. ["The Columbia Guide to Standard American English," 1993]
The noun is first recorded 1540s.
jean: "twilled cotton cloth," 1436, from Fr. jean fustian "fustian (a type of twilled cotton cloth) of Genoa," the city in Italy, from O.Fr. Jannes "Genoa," from L. Genua, perhaps from janua "gate," or in ref. to the god Janus (q.v.). The plural form became standard 19c. First used 1843 in sense of "pants made from jean."
avoirdupois: 1650s, misspelling of M.E. avoir-de-peise (c.1300), from O.Fr. avoir de pois "goods of weight," from aveir "property, goods" (noun use of aveir "have") + peis "weight," from L. pensum, neut. of pendere "to weigh" (see pendant). After late 15c., the standard system of weights used in England for all goods except precious metals, precious stones, and medicine.
Manichaeism: 1556, "the religion of the Manichees," (c.1380) a Gnostic Christian sect named for its founder, Mani (L. Manichæus), c.215-275, Syriac-speaking apostle from a Jesus cult in Mesopotamia in 240s, who taught a universal religion. Vegetarian and visionary, they saw "particles of light and goodness" trapped in evil matter and regarded Satan as co-eternal with God. The universe was a scene of struggle between good and evil. The sect was characterized by dualism and a double-standard of perfectionist "elects" and a larger group of fellow travelers who would require several reincarnations before their particles of light would be liberated.
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]
model: 1575, "architect's set of designs," from M.Fr. modelle (Fr. modèle), from It. modello "a model, mold," from V.L. *modellus, dim. of L. modulus "measure, standard," dim. of modus "manner, measure" (see mode (1)). Sense of "thing or person to be imitated" is 1639. Meaning "motor vehicle of a particular design" is from 1900 (e.g. Model T, 1909). Sense of "artist's model" is first recorded 1691; that of "fashion model" is from 1904. The verb is 1665 in the sense of "fashion in clay or wax;" 1915 in the sense "to act as a model, to display (clothes)." The adj. is 1844, from the noun.
languedoc: "language of medieval France south of the Loire," 1664, from Fr. langue d'oc "speech of the south of France," lit. "the language of 'yes,' " from oc the word used for "yes" in southern France, from L. hoc "this;" as opposed to langue d'oïl, from the way of saying "yes" in the north of France (Mod.Fr. oui); each from a different word in L. phrase hoc ille (fecit) "this he (did)." The langue d'oïl has developed into standard Modern French.
enough: O.E. genog, a common Gmc. formation (cf. O.N. gnogr, O.Fris. enoch, Goth. ganohs, Ger. genug), from ge- "with, together" (also a participial, collective, intensive, or perfective prefix) + root -nah, from PIE *nak- "reach, attain" (cf. Skt. asnoti "reaches," Hittite ninikzi "lifts, raises," Lith. nesti "to bear, carry," L. nancisci "to obtain"). The most prominent among the surviving examples of O.E. ge-, the equivalent of L. com- and Mod.Ger. ge-, from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with." Understated sense of have had enough "have had too much" was in O.E. (which relied heavily on double negatives and understatement). Colloquial 'nough said is attested from 1839. Archaic enow is from the O.E. pl. adj. and was standard as the plural of enough until late 18c.
orchid: 1845, introduced by John Lindley in "School Botanty," from Mod.L. Orchideæ (Linnaeus), the plant's family name, from L. orchis, a kind of orchid, from Gk. orkhis (gen. orkheos) "orchid," lit. "testicle," from PIE *orghi-, the standard root for "testicle" (cf. Avestan erezi "testicles," Arm. orjik, M.Ir. uirgge, Ir. uirge "testicle," Lith. erzilas "stallion"). The plant so called because of the shape of its root. Earlier in Eng. in L. form, orchis (1562). Marred by extraneous -d- in attempt to extract the Latin stem.
bury: O.E. byrgan, akin to beorgan "to shelter," from P.Gmc. *burzjanan "protection, shelter" (cf. O.N. bjarga, Sw. berga, Ger. bergen, Goth. bairgan), from PIE base *bhergh- "protect, preserve" (cf. O.C.S. brego "I preserve, guard"). The O.E. -y- was a short "oo" sound, like modern Fr. -u-. It normally transformed into Mod.Eng. -i- (cf. bridge, kiss, listen, sister), but in bury and a few other words (merry, knell) it retains a Kentish change to "e" that took place in the late O.E. period. In the West Midlands, meanwhile, the O.E. -y- sound persisted, slightly modified over time, giving the standard modern pronunciation of blush, much, church.
urchin: late 13c., yrichon "hedgehog," from O.N.Fr. *irechon (cf. Picard irechon, Walloon ireson, Hainaut hirchon), from O.Fr. herichun "hedgehog" (Fr. hérisson), formed with dim. suffix -on from V.L. *hericionem, from L. ericius "hedgehog," from PIE base *gher- "to bristle" (cf. Gk. kheros "hedgehog;" see horror). Still used for "hedgehog" in non-standard speech in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Shropshire. Applied throughout 16c. to people whose appearance or behavior suggested hedgehogs, from hunchbacks (1520s) to goblins (1580s) to bad girls (c.1530); meaning "poorly or raggedly clothed youngster" emerged 1550s, but was not in frequent use until after c.1780. Sea urchin is recorded from 1591 (a 19c. Newfoundland name for them was whore's eggs).
carat: 1469, from M.Fr. carat, from It. carato, from Arabic qirat "pod, husk, weight of 4 grains," from Gk. keration "carob seed," lit. "little horn" dim. of keras "horn." Carob beans were a standard for weighing small quantities. As a measure of diamond weight, from 1575. The Gk. measure was the equivalent of the Roman siliqua, which was one-twentyfourth of a golden solidus of Constantine; hence the word took on a sense of "a proportion of one twentyfourth" and became a measure of gold purity (1555). Eighteen carat gold is eighteen parts gold, six parts alloy. It is unlikely that the carat was ever a measure of weight for gold.