Etymologically
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diary

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdaɪ.(ə.)ɹi/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin diārium (“a daily allowance, later a journal”),[2][3][4] the neuter of diārius, daily,[3][4] from diēs (“day”),[2][3] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *dyeu- (“to shine; sky, heaven”), the root also of Greek Zeús and Latin Jūpiter.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A daily record of events, a journal: 1581.[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

A book with dated pages for keeping a daily record is first recorded in Ben Jonson's Volpone (1605).[2][5] An adjective diary, daily, lasting one day, was used from 1592 and is obsolete,[5] as is diary fever, an ephemeral fever (1639).[5] Diarist is from the 19th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1581 – a journal.[2]
  • 1592 – daily (adjective, obsolete).[5]
  • 1605 – a book for daily records.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A daily personal record of events, experiences and thoughts; a journal.
  2. A book for keeping such a record, or for noting appointments.

Word family

  • diarist

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster