zilch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /zɪlt͡ʃ/^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is unknown.^[2][3] It is probably a nonsense syllable suggesting zero and the end of the alphabet,^[4] perhaps influenced by zip and nil.^[5][6] It is linked with Mister Zilch, a comical stock name for an insignificant person,^[5][4][6] used for Elmer Zilch in the humour magazine Ballyhoo from 1931.^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Barnhart records Mister Zilch as a nickname in 1931,^[5] and Etymonline gives the sense “insignificant person” from 1933.^[4] The OED's first quotation for the meaning “nothing” is from 1931.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Barnhart records a sense of gibberish in 1960,^[5] and the meaning “nil, zero” in 1966,^[5][3] which is now the usual one.^[2][3][6] A sporting verb, to keep the other side from scoring, appeared in 1969.^[7]

Timeline

• 1931 – Mister Zilch and the sense nothing, nil.^[5][7]
• 1933 – an insignificant person.^[4]
• 1960 – meaningless talk.^[5]
• 1966 – zero, nothing.^[5][3]
• 1969 – verb, to keep scoreless.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Zero; nothing.
2. An insignificant person; a nonentity.

Adjective

1. Amounting to nothing; nil.

Verb

1. In sport, to keep the opponents from scoring; to defeat soundly.

Related words

• zip
• nil
• zero

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press