Etymologically
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coterie

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkəʊtəɹi/ (UK); /ˈkoʊtəɹi/, /ˌkoʊtəˈɹi/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French coterie (“circle of acquaintances”),[2][3][4][5][6] which in Middle French meant an association of tenant farmers,[2][3][4][5][6] from Old French cotier “cottager, cotter”,[2][3][4][5] from cote “hut”.[2][3] The French word is probably of Germanic origin[2][5] and is related to cottage and Old English cot “hut”.[3][4][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

A select or exclusive circle in society (1738).[7][3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The French word first named a group of peasants holding land together from a feudal lord.[4][2] In English it meant an exclusive social set from the start,[7][4] and from 1827 any clique sharing exclusive interests or aims.[7] An obsolete sense, an organized association or club, is recorded in 1764.[7] Random House also records its use for a group of prairie dogs sharing a burrow.[6][1]

Timeline

  • 1738 – an exclusive social circle.[7][3][4][5]
  • 1764 – a club or association, now obsolete.[7]
  • 1805 – a gathering of such a circle.[7]
  • 1827 – a clique with shared interests.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A small, often exclusive group of people who associate closely; a clique.
  2. A group of prairie dogs sharing a burrow.
  • cottage
  • cotter
  • cot

Usage notes

Random House refers to circle for a discussion of synonyms.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press