offer

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˈɒf.ə/, US /ˈɑː.fɚ/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English offren, inherited from Old English offrian (“to bring forward; to sacrifice”),^[2][3][4] an early Germanic borrowing borrowed from Late Latin offerre (“to present in worship”),^[5][6] from Latin offerre (“to present, bestow, bring before”),^[2][4] from ob- (“to, toward”) and ferre (“to bring, carry”),^[2][4][7] from Proto-Indo-European *bher- (“to carry”).^[2][4] The religious word spread to Old Frisian, Dutch and Old Norse with Christianity.^[2][8] The non-religious senses come from or were reinforced by Old French offrir (“to offer”).^[2][4][6] The noun is Middle English offre, from Old French offre, from offrir.^[2][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

“To present as a sacrifice, bestow in worship”: before 830, in the Vespasian Psalter,^[3] or about 825 in the OED.^[9] Middle English offren is from before 1121, in the Peterborough Chronicle.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Old English offrian also meant “to bring forward, show”.^[2] “To present for acceptance or refusal” is from the early 15th century^[2] or the 14th century.^[5] “To propose to do” is from the 15th century,^[5] and “to attempt to do” from the 1530s.^[2] The commercial sense “to expose for sale” is from the 1630s.^[2] The noun, a proposal presented for acceptance, is from the early 15th century^[2] or 1433,^[9] and the native noun is offering.^[2] A proposal of marriage is from before 1548,^[9] and a bid of a price from the 1540s.^[2][9] On offer, for sale, is from 1794.^[9]

Timeline

• before 830 – to offer in worship.^[3]
• early 15th century – to present for acceptance; noun, a proposal.^[2]
• before 1548 – a proposal of marriage.^[9]
• 1540s – a bid.^[2]
• 1530s – to attempt.^[2]
• 1630s – to put up for sale.^[2]
• 1794 – on offer.^[9]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To present for acceptance or refusal.
2. To put forward for consideration; to propose.
3. To provide or make available; to put up for sale.
4. To propose as payment; to bid.
5. To present as an act of worship.
6. To show readiness to do something.

Noun

1. Something offered, such as a proposal or bid.
2. A proposal which, if accepted, makes a binding contract.
3. The condition of being offered for sale.

Word family

• offerer
• offerable
• counteroffer
• reoffer
• tender offer

Related words

• offering
• offertory
• oblate
• oblation
• proffer
• confer
• defer
• differ
• infer
• prefer
• refer
• suffer
• transfer
• bear

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
4. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
5. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
8. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ 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