user

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈjuzɚ/; /ˈjuːzə/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English user, formed from English use + -er.^[2][3][4] It is related to use and usage.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who makes use of something: about 1400 in Etymonline and the OED.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

Of users of narcotics it is from 1935, first American,^[3][5] and of computers from 1967.^[3][5] User-friendly is from 1977, though some say the software designer Harlan Crowder coined it as early as 1972.^[3] One who manipulates others for personal advantage is colloquial, first North American, from 1982.^[5] In northern dialect, as in the West Riding of Yorkshire, a user was a useful animal, such as a cow giving plenty of milk (1828).^[5][6]

Timeline

• c. 1400 – one who uses.^[3][5]
• 1828 – a useful animal, in dialect.^[5]
• 1935 – a drug user.^[3][5]
• 1967 – a computer user.^[3][5]
• 1977 – user-friendly.^[3]
• 1982 – one who exploits others.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. One who uses something.
2. One who uses a computer or online service.
3. One who uses addictive drugs.
4. (informal) One who exploits others for personal gain.

Word family

• multiuser
• user-friendly
• user-unfriendly
• graphical user interface
• user group
• end user

Related words

• misuser
• use
• usage
• abuse
• utility

Usage notes

In law, user (1835) is the continued use or enjoyment of a right, as a different word, formed after non-user or abuser.^[5][4][2]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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)