Etymologically
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dental

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdɛn.təl/ (UK); /ˈdɛn.təl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French dental (“of or for teeth”) or directly Late Latin dentalis,[2][3][4] from Latin dēns (“tooth”) (genitive dentis; see tooth),[2][3] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *dent- (“tooth”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In phonetics, pronounced with the tongue against the upper front teeth: 1594;[5][2] of the teeth, 1599 in the OED, the 1590s in Etymonline.[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Connected with dentistry is from 1826,[3][5] and engaged in dental work, as a dental mechanic, from 1840.[5] The noun, a dental consonant, is from before 1794,[5][3] and humorously a tooth from 1837.[5] Dentist is from 1759, after French dentiste, and dentistry from 1838.[2]

Timeline

  • 1594 – in phonetics.[2]
  • 1599 – of the teeth.[5]
  • 1794 – a dental consonant.[3]
  • 1826 – of dentistry.[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Of or relating to the teeth.
  2. Of or relating to dentistry.
  3. (phonetics) Pronounced with the tip of the tongue near or against the upper front teeth.

Noun

  1. (phonetics) A dental consonant.

Word family

  • dentally
  • dentality
  • apicodental
  • dentalize
  • interdental
  • labiodental
  • peridental
  • postdental

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ 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