dudgeon
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈdʌd͡ʒən/[1]
Etymology
The origin is unknown.[2][3][4][5][6] It was first spelled duggin.[3][4] Etymonline mentions a suggestion that it comes from Italian aduggiare “to overshadow”, which would parallel umbrage;[4] a Welsh source has also been proposed but is rejected by the OED.[4] There is no clear link to the older word dudgeon, a kind of wood used for knife and dagger handles.[4][2][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
A feeling of anger, resentment or offence, almost always in the phrase in dudgeon (1573).[7][3][5][4]
Semantic evolution
From the start the word was used mainly in set phrases, especially in high dudgeon,[7][3][1] and it still carries a note of offended, sullen indignation.[2][1] An adjective meaning “resentful” (1589) is obsolete.[7] The unrelated dudgeon of the 15th century named a wood, perhaps boxwood, used for dagger hilts, and then the dagger itself.[5][7][2]
Timeline
- 15th century – dudgeon, a wood for dagger hilts (separate word).[5]
- 1573 – anger, resentment.[7][3][5]
- 1589 – adjective, resentful (obsolete).[7]
- 1859 – verb, to be in dudgeon (rare).[7]
Modern meaning
Noun
- A state of sullen anger or resentment, especially in the phrase in high dudgeon.
Related words
- umbrage
- pique
References
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press