Etymologically
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aloof

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈluːf/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound of a- “on”[2][3][4][5] and loof “windward”,[3][4][6][5] the same word as luff,[2][3][4][6][5] probably from Dutch loef “weather side of a ship”[4] or from Old French lof, of Germanic origin.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a nautical adverb, away to windward (1532).[3][7][4]

Semantic evolution

It was originally an order to the steersman to keep the ship's head to the wind,[7][4] and so to stay clear of a lee shore or another danger.[4] From this came the general sense “at a distance but within view” (1530s),[4][7] and figuratively “apart, without fellow feeling”, especially in stand aloof and keep aloof (1583).[7][4] As an adjective meaning distant or reserved it dates from about 1600.[4][7][6]

Timeline

  • 1532 – away to windward.[3][7]
  • c1540 – at a distance, apart.[7]
  • 1549 – a steering order to turn the ship into the wind.[7]
  • 1583 – figurative, holding back, without sympathy.[7]
  • 1607 – distant, detached, unsympathetic.[7][6]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Distant or reserved in manner; standoffish.

Adverb

  1. At a distance, apart, especially in feeling or interest.

Word family

  • aloofly
  • aloofness
  • luff

References

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