invention

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English invencioun, from Old French invencion and directly borrowed from Latin inventiō (“faculty of invention”), inventiōnem,^[2][3][4] from inventus, past participle of invenīre, to come upon, find, devise (see invent),^[2][5] from in-, on, and venīre, to come (see venue).^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The action of coming upon or finding, discovery: before 1350 in the OED, the early 15th century in Etymonline.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

Finding out rather than creating is the base sense.^[6] The Invention of the Cross, the reputed finding of the Cross by Helena, is from 1451,^[7] and in rhetoric the finding of topics or arguments from 1509.^[7] Devising or making up, fabrication, is from 1526,^[7] and the original contrivance of a new method or means of doing something from 1531.^[7] In art and literature the devising of a subject or idea is from 1638.^[7] A short contrapuntal composition on a single theme is a musical sense, as in Bach's two-part inventions.^[8][9] Inventory, a list of what is found, is from the same source.^[6]

Timeline

• before 1350 – a discovery.^[7]
• 1451 – the Invention of the Cross.^[7]
• 1509 – rhetorical invention.^[7]
• 1526 – a fabrication.^[7]
• 1531 – a new contrivance.^[7]
• 1638 – invention in art.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The act or process of inventing.
2. A new device, method or process developed by study and experiment.
3. Creative skill; inventiveness.
4. A fabrication or lie.
5. (music) A short piece developing a single theme in counterpoint.
6. (archaic) A discovery or finding.

Word family

• inventional
• inventionless
• preinvention

Related words

• invent
• inventive
• inventor
• reinvent
• inventory
• convention
• venue

Usage notes

In Irish English, invention was also used as a verb, to invent.^[10]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
9. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
10. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)