appetite
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈæp.ɪ.taɪt/ (UK); /ˈæp.əˌtaɪt/ (US)[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Middle English appetit, borrowed from Anglo-Norman appetit (Old French apetit),[2][3][4] from Latin appetītus (“desire, longing”),[2][3] from the past participle of appetō (“to long for, strive after”),[3][5] from ad (“to”) and petō (“to go to, seek”) (see petition),[3][2][6] from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to rush, fly”).[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
A craving for food, hunger: about 1303, in Mannyng's Handlyng Synne, in Barnhart and the OED.[2][7]
Semantic evolution
The desire to satisfy natural needs is from 1366,[7] and desire or inclination of the mind in general from 1382 (the late 14th century).[7][3] Capacity or relish for food is from about 1398.[7] It was formerly followed by of or to, now by for.[3] Appetizing is from the 17th century, from French appétissant.[4]
Timeline
- c. 1303 – a craving for food.[2][7]
- 1366 – natural desire.[7]
- 1382 – desire of the mind.[7]
- 17th century – appetizing.[4]
Modern meaning
Noun
- A desire for food or drink.
- A desire to satisfy a bodily craving.
- A strong wish or liking: an appetite for work.
Word family
- appetitive
- appetizer
- appetizing
Related words
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
- ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press