marathon

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmæɹəθən/ (UK); /ˈmæɹəˌθɑn/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is named after Marathon, a plain and village in Attica, Greece, where the Athenians defeated the Persians in 490 BCE.^[2][3][4][5] The news of the victory was carried to Athens by a runner,^[2][3] whom later tradition calls Pheidippides.^[6][5] The place name means “fennel field”, from Greek márathon “fennel”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A long-distance footrace, introduced at the revived Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.^[7][4][5][3]

Semantic evolution

The race commemorated the runner's legendary run.^[4][5] By 1908 the name was used for other long-distance races and contests of endurance,^[7] and by 1915 for any event or activity of great length.^[7][4] The distance was later standardized at 26 miles 385 yards (about 42.2 kilometres).^[3][6][1] In recent use the verb also means to watch many episodes of a series in one sitting.^[1]

Timeline

• 1767 – the adjective Marathonian.^[4]
• 1896 – a long-distance footrace.^[7][4][5][3]
• 1908 – other long-distance races and endurance contests.^[7]
• 1915 – any event of long duration.^[7]
• 1920 – verb, to run as in a marathon (rare).^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A footrace of 26 miles 385 yards (about 42.2 kilometres).
2. Any long-distance race.
3. A contest, event or activity requiring great endurance or lasting a long time.

Word family

• marathoner

References

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