Etymologically
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develop

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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as disvelop,[7][4][2] and in the form develop from 1656 in Barnhart and the 1650s in Etymonline.[2][3] This sense is obsolete.[3]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

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