backup

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbækˌʌp/^[1]

Etymology

It is a noun use of the phrasal verb back up.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

MWU dates the noun to 1910.^[3] In North America it first meant the backward motion of a vehicle, in the early 20th century.^[4]

Semantic evolution

An accumulation of water or traffic behind an obstruction is a mid-20th-century North American sense.^[4] A standby or reserve is from 1952 in Etymonline,^[2] and support or backing generally followed.^[4] In computing, a duplicate copy of data kept in case the original is lost is from 1965.^[2][4] Musical accompaniment behind a lead performer is a further use.^[5]

Timeline

• 1910 – first use (MWU).^[3]
• early 20th century – backward motion of a vehicle.^[4]
• 1952 – a standby, a reserve.^[2]
• 1965 – in computing.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A person or thing kept in reserve; a substitute.
2. A copy of computer data or files stored separately in case the original is lost.
3. Support or help: police called for backup.
4. (chiefly North American) An overflow or traffic jam caused by a blockage.
5. A background accompaniment for a singer or performer.

Adjective

1. Kept in reserve; standby: a backup generator.

Related words

• back
• up
• setback

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin