develop

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɪˈvel.əp/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French développer,^[2][3][4] replacing earlier disvelop, from Middle French desveloper,^[2][3] both from desveloper (“to unwrap, unfurl, reveal”),^[2][3] from des- (“undo”) and voloper (“to wrap up”),^[3][2] which is of uncertain origin, possibly Celtic or Germanic.^[3][5][6] It is related to envelop.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

To unfold, unroll: 1592 in the OED and Merriam-Webster, as disvelop,^[7][4][2] and in the form develop from 1656 in Barnhart and the 1650s in Etymonline.^[2][3] This sense is obsolete.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The modern uses are figurative and arose in the 18th century and after.^[3] “To lay open, unveil” is from 1742,^[7] and “to unfold more fully, bring out the potential in” by 1750.^[3][7] The intransitive “to come gradually into existence” is by 1793,^[3] and “to advance from stage to stage” by 1843.^[3] The photographic sense, making a latent image visible by chemicals, is from 1845,^[3] and the real-estate sense, “to convert land to profitable use”, by 1865.^[3] “To come to light”, American English, is by 1864.^[3] Developing of poorer nations is by 1960.^[3] Development is from 1756, after French développement, and developer from 1833.^[2]

Timeline

• 1592 – disvelop, to unfold.^[2][7]
• 1656 – develop, to unwrap.^[2]
• 1750 – to bring out the potential of.^[3]
• 1756 – development.^[2]
• 1793 – to come into being gradually.^[3]
• 1845 – in photography.^[3]
• 1865 – to develop land.^[3]
• 1960 – developing countries.^[3]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To grow or cause to grow into a more advanced or mature state.
2. To come or bring gradually into existence: a storm developed.
3. To elaborate or expand an idea or plan.
4. To begin to have: to develop a cough.
5. To treat photographic film with chemicals to make the image visible.
6. To build on or convert land for use.

Word family

• developable
• developability
• developer
• misdevelop
• overdevelop
• predevelop
• redevelop
• underdevelop

Related words

• envelop
• envelope
• development

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press