Etymologically
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honor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˈɒn.ə/, US /ˈɑː.nɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English onur, honour,[2][3][4] borrowed from Anglo-Norman honour, Old French onor, honor “honour, dignity, distinction, position; victory, triumph” (modern French honneur),[2][3] from Latin honor (accusative honōrem; nominative honōs, the form Cicero used) “honour, dignity, office, reputation”,[2][3] which is of unknown origin.[2][3] The initial h is a Latinate correction begun in early Old French, for a sound that had vanished before the word came to English.[2] The verb is from Old French onorer, from honōrāre (“to honour”).[2][3] It is related to honorable, honorary and honest.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

“Glory, renown, fame earned”: about 1200 in Etymonline[2] and the OED.[5]

Semantic evolution

From about 1300 it was used of respect paid, a gesture of esteem, nobleness of character, high rank, a mark of respect and a source of glory.[2] A woman's chastity is from the late 14th century,[2] 1390 in the OED.[5] “One's personal title to high respect” is from the 1540s,[2][5] and in Middle English it could also mean “splendour, beauty; excellence”.[2] The verb, “to show respect to”, is from the mid-13th century,[2] and in commerce, to accept or pay a bill when due, from 1706, through the notion of a duty of respect.[2][5] Hamlet's “more honoured in the breach than the observance” means a custom one deserves more honour for breaking than keeping, though it is often quoted to mean a rule more often broken than kept.[2] An honor roll in schools is attested by 1872.[2] Until the 17th century honour and honor were equally frequent; honour came to be preferred in England, and honor in the United States through the influence of Noah Webster.[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – glory, renown.[2][5]
  • mid-13th century – verb, to show respect to.[2]
  • c. 1300 – respect paid; high rank.[2]
  • late 14th century – chastity.[2]
  • 1540s – personal integrity.[2]
  • 1706 – to pay a bill.[2][5]
  • 1872 – honor roll.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. High respect or regard.
  2. Good name; reputation.
  3. A source of credit: an honor to the profession.
  4. Glory or distinction, or a mark or token of it, such as a decoration or title.
  5. Personal integrity; a keen sense of right and wrong.
  6. A privilege: had the honor of meeting them.
  7. (dated) A woman's chastity.
  8. Your Honor, a title for a judge or official.

Verb

  1. To hold in respect; to esteem.
  2. To confer distinction on.
  3. To accept or pay as valid: honor a check.
  4. To fulfil the terms of: honor a commitment.

Word family

  • honorer
  • honoree
  • honorless
  • honorand
  • dishonorable
  • honorable
  • honorary
  • honorific

Usage notes

Honor is the American spelling and honour the British one.[2][6] The American Heritage distinguishes honor, the most general term for the esteem due to another, from homage, reverence, veneration and deference.[7]

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 l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin