Etymologically
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dainty

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdeɪnti/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English deinte (“esteem, excellence, delight”),[2][3][4] borrowed from Anglo-Norman deinté,[3][4] from Old French deintié (“price, value; delicacy, pleasure”),[2][5][4] from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, worth”),[2][3][5][4] from dignus “worthy”.[2][5][4] It is a doublet of dignity.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a noun, esteem, regard or affection (a1225).[7][4][5] The adjective, “fine, choice, delightful”, follows about 1300–1340.[5][7][4] Barnhart notes the surname Deintie from 1199.[5]

Semantic evolution

From “worth, esteem” the noun came to mean something choice or delightful, especially a delicacy for the palate (c1300).[7][5][4] The adjective developed from “excellent” to “pleasing to the palate” (1382) and “delicately pretty” (c1400).[7][4] From the 1570s it was used of people with refined taste, and then of the overly fastidious.[7][4]

Timeline

  • a1225 – noun, esteem, honour, affection.[7]
  • c1300 – noun, a delicacy.[7][5]
  • c1340 – adjective, fine, choice, excellent.[7]
  • 1382 – adjective, pleasing to the palate.[7]
  • c1400 – adjective, delicately pretty.[7][4]
  • 1576 – adjective, fastidious, particular.[7][4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Delicately small, pretty or graceful; exquisite.
  2. Delicious or choice; attractively served.
  3. Of refined or discriminating taste.
  4. Overly particular; fussy or squeamish.

Noun

  1. Something delicious; a delicacy.

Word family

  • daintily
  • daintiness
  • dignity
  • deign

References

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