treasure

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English tresor, borrowed from Old French tresor (“treasury, hoard, treasure”),^[2][3][4] from Gallo-Roman *tresaurus, an unexplained alteration of Latin thesaurus (“treasury, treasure”),^[3][5] from Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “treasure, store, storehouse”) (see thesaurus),^[2][6] of uncertain origin.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wealth or riches stored up: 1137, in the Peterborough Chronicle, in Barnhart, the mid-12th century in Etymonline.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Old English poets used goldhord and maðm for the idea.^[3] In Middle English the word was sometimes spelled thresur in imitation of the classical form, and the modern spelling was established from the 16th century.^[3][2] Anything valued is from about 1200, originally in spiritual senses, and a person held dear from about 1300.^[3] The verb, to amass treasure and to regard as precious, is from the late 14th century.^[3] Treasure trove first meant valuables of unknown ownership found hidden.^[6]

Timeline

• 1137 – stored wealth.^[2]
• c. 1200 – anything valued.^[3][7]
• c. 1300 – a person held dear.^[3]
• late 14th century – the verb.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A quantity of precious metals, gems or other valuable objects.
2. A very valuable object.
3. (informal) A much loved or highly valued person.

Verb

1. To value highly; to cherish.
2. To keep carefully as precious.

Word family

• treasurable
• treasureless
• entreasure
• treasure-trove
• treasurer
• treasury
• treasure house
• treasure hunt

Related words

• thesaurus
• treasure trove

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press