larceny

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɑː.sən.i/, /ˈlɑː.sɪ.ni/ (UK); /ˈlɑɹ.sə.ni/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English larceni,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”),^{[3][4][5][2][6]} from Old French larrecin,^[5][2] from Latin latrōcinium (“robbery”),^[3][4][5][2] from latrō “robber; hireling, mercenary”,^[3][4][5][2] probably from a Greek source related to látron “pay, hire”.^[3][4][5][2] The English ending -y was added to the French word,^[5][6] perhaps under the influence of felony and burglary.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The felonious taking and carrying away of another's personal goods with intent to convert them to one's own use (c1460).^[7][2] Barnhart dates the word to before 1475.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed close to the legal definition.^[7][3][4] Larceny was formerly divided into grand larceny and petty larceny according to the value of the property.^[2][6]

Timeline

• c1460 – the felonious taking of another's goods.^[7][2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (law) The unlawful taking and carrying away of another's personal property with intent to deprive the owner of it permanently; theft.
2. An instance of such taking.

Word family

• grand larceny
• petty larceny

Related words

• larcenous
• larcenist
• felony
• burglary

References

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