envelope

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɛnvə(ˌ)loʊp/, /ˈɑn-/; /ˈɛnvə(ˌ)ləʊp/, /ˈɒnvə(ˌ)ləʊp/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French enveloppe, a back-formation from envelopper (“to envelop, wrap up”) (see envelop),^[2][3][4] from Old French envoluper, the en- meaning in and the rest of unknown origin.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The cover of a letter: 1705 in Barnhart and Etymonline, before 1714 in the OED.^[2][3][6] The New Oxford records an earlier sense, a wrapper, from the mid-16th century, in the form envolupe.^[7][5]

Semantic evolution

A covering or wrapper in general is from 1715.^[2][6][4] In botany and physical science an enclosing layer is from 1830,^[6] in mathematics the curve touching a family of curves from 1871,^[6] the gas bag of a balloon or airship from 1901,^[6] and the glass container of a vacuum tube from 1932.^[6] In aeronautics the flight envelope is the range within which an aircraft can safely operate, hence to push the envelope, to go to or beyond the limits of what is possible.^[5]

Timeline

• mid-16th century – envolupe, a wrapper.^[7]
• 1705 – the cover of a letter.^[2][3]
• 1715 – any covering.^[2][6]
• 1901 – a balloon's envelope.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A flat paper container with a sealable flap, for a letter.
2. Any covering or wrapper; an enclosing membrane or layer.
3. The gas bag of a balloon or airship.
4. The limits within which a system or aircraft can operate safely: push the envelope.

Word family

• floral envelope
• nuclear envelope
• window envelope

Related words

• envelop
• develop

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press