advice

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ədˈvaɪs/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English avis (“thought, judgment, opinion”), advis,^[2][3] borrowed from Old French avis (“opinion, view, judgment”),^[4][2] from the phrase ce m'est a vis “it seems to me”,^[4][2] from Vulgar Latin *mī est vīsum, corresponding to Latin mihi vidētur, “it seems to me”.^[2][4] Ultimately it is from ad (“to”) and vīsum, the neuter past participle of vidēre (“to see”),^[2][5] from Proto-Indo-European *weid- (“to see”).^[4] The d, after Latin words in ad-, was inserted occasionally by French scribes and made regular in English in the 15th century by Caxton;^[4][2] c replaced s in the 18th century, to keep the voiceless sound and distinguish the noun from advise.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Opinion, judgment, the way a matter is looked at: 1297 in the OED,^[6] about 1300 in Barnhart,^[2] the late 13th century in Etymonline.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The original sense was “a way of looking at something, a judgment”, which led to “an opinion given”.^[7][8] Deliberation or consultation is from 1366,^[6] and forethought or wisdom from 1375, both obsolete.^[6] Opinion offered as to what to do, counsel, including medical or legal counsel, is from 1393,^[6] the late 14th century in Etymonline.^[4] Information or news, especially from a distance, is from 1490,^[6] and survives in commerce, as in a letter of advice.^[6][9]

Timeline

• 1297 – opinion, judgment.^[6]
• 1366 – deliberation, consultation.^[6]
• 1393 – counsel.^[6]
• 1490 – information, news.^[6]
• 15th century – the spelling with d, after Caxton.^[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An opinion about what should be done; counsel or a recommendation.
2. (often plural) Information or news, especially a formal notice of a business transaction.

Word family

• advice and consent
• advice boat
• letter of advice

Related words

• advise
• aviso
• advisory
• vision
• visa
• supervise
• view
• wit

Usage notes

Advice is the noun and advise the verb.^[4][10] Counsel often suggests advice from an expert, while recommendation may imply a favourable opinion of what is advised.^[9]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
10. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins