publish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpʌblɪʃ/^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English publishen, an alteration of earlier publicen (before 1338) under the influence of verbs such as banish, finish and accomplish,^[2][3] borrowed from Old French publier (“to make public, spread abroad”), puplier,^[3][2][4] from Latin pūblicāre (“to make public”), from pūblicus (see public).^[3][2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

To make publicly known, declare openly: about 1330 in the OED;^[6] the mid-14th century in Etymonline, and about 1378, in Piers Plowman, in Barnhart.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

To announce formally, as a judicial sentence, is from about 1380.^[6] To issue a book or other work to the public, causing it to be printed and offered for sale, is from the late 14th century,^[3] the 16th century in Hoad.^[5] In Middle English it also meant to disgrace or denounce publicly, and to people or populate.^[3] In law, to publish a libel is to communicate defamatory matter to a third person (1480).^[6][7] In Welsh English, to publish is to announce the preacher for a day.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1330 – to make known.^[6]
• before 1338 – publicen.^[2]
• c. 1380 – to announce formally.^[6]
• late 14th century – to issue a book.^[3]
• 1480 – to publish a will or libel.^[6]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To prepare and issue printed or electronic material for distribution or sale.
2. To have one's writing published.
3. To make known publicly; to announce.
4. (law) To communicate defamatory matter to a third person.

Word family

• publishable
• micropublish
• prepublish
• publisher
• publishment
• republish
• self-publish
• unpublished

Related words

• public
• publican
• publication
• publicist
• publicize
• publicity
• republic

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)