enhance English · revision 10398
17 Oct 2026, 02:38 by bogdan “en10k b0349: bust … thee”
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1280|origins=xno enhauncer|origins=la altus}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ɪnˈhɑːns/, /ɛnˈhɑːns/ ''(UK)''; /ɪnˈhæns/, /ɛnˈhæns/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is Middle English anhaunsen, enhauncen, [[bor|xno|enhauncer]], probably an alteration of Old French enhaucier, to make greater, higher or louder,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Vulgar Latin *inaltiāre, from Late Latin inaltāre, to raise, exalt,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from Latin in-, on, and altus, high (see [[altitude]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) from PIE *al-, to grow, nourish.^(Etymonline) The -n- may be due to Provençal enansar, to promote, further;^(Etymonline) Barnhart suggests that the h of the French verb came from the influence of Frankish *hōh, high.^(Barnhart 1988)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ To raise, make higher: about 1280 in Barnhart, the late 13th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ To raise in station, wealth or fame is from about 1300,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and to praise or extol from about 1374.^(OED 1989) To lift up literally (1388) and to lift the voice (1483) are obsolete senses.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002) Hoad dates the sense to heighten or intensify to the 15th century, and to raise in price later.^(Hoad 1986) ''Enhancement'' is from 1577.^(Barnhart 1988)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 1280 – to raise.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * c. 1300 – to raise in rank.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * c. 1374 – to extol.^(OED 1989)
+ * 15th century – to intensify.^(Hoad 1986)
+ * 1577 – enhancement.^(Barnhart 1988)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Verb===
+ # To make greater in value, quality, beauty or reputation; to [[improve]] or [[augment]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[enhancement]]
+ * [[enhancer]]
+ * [[enhancive]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[altitude]]
+ * [[exalt]]
+ * [[haughty]]
+ * [[hawser]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}