oblivion

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈblɪviːən/^[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English oblivioun,^[2][3] from Old French oblivion^[2][4][3] and from Latin oblivio (“forgetfulness”),^{[2][4][3][5][6]} from oblīvīscī “to forget”,^{[2][4][3][5][6]} perhaps originally “to smooth over”, from Latin ob- (“over”) + levis (“smooth”).^[4][3][5] Etymonline notes that de Vaan finds this shift of meaning unconvincing, though no better explanation has been found.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The state of forgetting; forgetfulness (1390; before 1393 in Barnhart).^[7][4][3]

Semantic evolution

The state of being forgotten is recorded from about 1425.^[7] From 1612 the word also meant an intentional overlooking of offences, as in an Act of Oblivion granting a general pardon.^[7][2][6] In modern use it also suggests unconsciousness or utter extinction.^[1]

Timeline

• 1390 – forgetfulness.^[7]
• about 1425 – the state of being forgotten.^[7]
• about 1450 – oblivious.^[4]
• 1612 – official pardon for offences.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The state of being completely forgotten or unknown.
2. The act of forgetting; total forgetfulness or unawareness, as in sleep.
3. Official overlooking of offences; amnesty.

Related words

• oblivious
• oubliette
• obliterate

References

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