eunuch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈjuː.nək/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English eunuk,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Latin eunūchus,^{[2][5][6][3][4]} from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos, “castrated man; guard of the bedchamber”),^{[2][5][6][3][4]} from Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ, “bed”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “to hold, keep”).^{[2][5][6][3][4]} The AHD notes that the word comes from the eunuch's function of guarding the women's bedchamber, not from his castration.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A castrated man, especially one employed as a harem attendant or court official (late 14th century in Etymonline; c. 1430 in the OED).^[6][7][5]

Semantic evolution

Eunuchs were placed in charge of harems and served as chamberlains and officials in Eastern courts and under the Roman emperors, where they handled important affairs of state.^[6][7][3] In the Greek and Latin Bible the word also translated Hebrew sārīs, which sometimes meant simply “palace official”.^[6][7] A castrated singer was sometimes called a eunuch (1732).^[7] Figuratively the word is applied to a person or group lacking power or virility, as in political eunuchs.^[3][1]

Timeline

• late 14th century – a castrated man.^[6]
• c. 1430 – a harem attendant or court official.^[7]
• 1732 – a castrato singer.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A castrated man, especially one employed as a harem attendant or as an official in certain Asian courts.
2. A man or boy whose testes have been removed or do not function.
3. A person or group lacking power or effectiveness.

Word family

• eunuchism

Related words

• castrato
• harem
• chamberlain

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
5. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press