modest English · revision 10445

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1565|origins=fr modeste|origins=la modestus|origins=ine-pro *med-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈmɒd.ɪst/, US /ˈmɑː.dɪst/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from French modeste or directly from Latin modestus, moderate, keeping due measure, sober, temperate,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from a stem *medes-, related to modus, measure, manner (see [[mode]], [[moderate]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from PIE *med-, to take appropriate measures.^(Etymonline) Barnhart thinks it probably a back-formation from [[modesty]] (1531).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Having a moderate estimate of one's own merits, restrained by propriety or humility: 1565, in an early thesaurus;^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) the 1560s in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) Well-conducted, not domineering, is from 1574 and obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of women, decorous, chaste, it is from the 1590s,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and of women's dress, not showy, from the 1610s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Of demands or estimates, not excessive, it is from 1601,^(OED 1989) and Hoad dates the sense unpretentious to the 18th century.^(Hoad 1986) Figuratively, of things seeming to retire from view, it is from 1786.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1531 – modesty.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1565 – humble.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1590s – decorous, of women.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1601 – not excessive.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1611 – of dress, decent.^(OED 1989)

+ * 18th century – unpretentious.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having or showing a moderate opinion of one's own abilities; [[humble]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Reserved or shy; not drawing attention to oneself.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Not showy or ostentatious; unpretentious.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Moderate or limited in size or amount: ''a modest income''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Observing the proprieties of speech, behaviour or dress; decent.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[modestly]]

+ * [[hypermodest]]

+ * [[overmodest]]

+ * [[pseudomodest]]

+ * [[supermodest]]

+ * [[unmodest]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[modesty]]

+ * [[mode]]

+ * [[moderate]]

+ * [[modicum]]

+ * [[modify]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}