alacrity

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈlakrᵻti/, /əˈlæk.rə.ti/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin alacritās (“liveliness, eagerness”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Latin alacer (“lively, brisk, eager”),^[2][4][5] a word of uncertain origin.^[4] It may be related to Gothic aljan “zeal” and Old English ellen “courage, zeal”.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Liveliness or briskness (mid-15th century).^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The word has always combined two ideas, eagerness and speed.^[2][6][1] In current use it most often describes the cheerful readiness with which someone accepts or does something.^[5][6]

Timeline

• before 1460 – first recorded.^[3][4]
• about 1510 – briskness, cheerful readiness.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Cheerful readiness or eagerness.
2. Speed or briskness.

Word family

• alacritous

Related words

• allegretto
• allegro

Usage notes

Random House gives eagerness, keenness, fervor and zeal as synonyms, and sprightliness and agility for the sense of briskness.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press