mascot

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmæsˌkɒt/ (UK); /ˈmæsˌkɑːt/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French mascotte (“sorcerer's charm, good-luck piece”),^[2][3][4][5] from Occitan mascoto (“sorcery, charm”),^[2][3][4][5] from masco “witch”,^[2][3][4] probably from Medieval Latin masca (“mask, spectre, witch”).^[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A person or thing supposed to bring luck (1881).^{[6][2][4][5][3]}

Semantic evolution

The French word, recorded in 1867, was popularized by Edmond Audran's comic opera La Mascotte, first performed in December 1880,^[2][5] and English borrowed it the next year.^[2][4] From a lucky charm the mascot became a symbolic figure adopted by a team or organization,^[3][7][1] and in recent use also a person who wears its costume.^[1]

Timeline

• 1867 – French mascotte recorded.^[2]
• 1880 – Audran's opera La Mascotte.^[2][5]
• 1881 – English mascot, a bringer of luck.^[6][2][4][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A person, animal or object adopted by a group, such as a sports team, as a symbol and to bring good luck.
2. A person in costume portraying an organization's mascot.

Related words

• mask
• talisman

References

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