blond English · revision 1055

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /blɒnd/ ''(UK)''; /blɑnd/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fro|blont|t=fair, blond]], feminine ''blonde'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from the same source as [[la-med|blundus|t=yellow]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) probably of Germanic, perhaps Frankish, origin.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) If Germanic, it may be related to Old English ''blonden-feax'' “grey-haired”, literally “of mixed colour”,^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) but its origin is uncertain.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of hair, golden or light golden-brown in colour (1481 in Barnhart; late 15th century in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was reintroduced in the 17th century from French and was long felt to be French.^(Etymonline) As a noun it named a silk lace, originally unbleached (about 1755),^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and from 1822 a person with fair hair.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) It is also used of light-coloured wood^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and of pale beer.^(Wiktionary) English often follows French in writing ''blond'' for men and ''blonde'' for women.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1481 – adjective, of hair, light golden.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1755 – noun, a silk lace.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1822 – noun, a fair-haired person.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of hair, of a flaxen, golden, light [[auburn]] or pale yellowish-brown colour.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Having fair hair, and usually fair skin and light eyes.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # Light-coloured, as through bleaching, as in ''blond wood''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person with fair hair.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A light yellowish-brown to dark greyish-yellow colour.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A silk lace, originally unbleached.^(RHWU)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[blondish]]

+ * [[blondness]]

+ * [[blonde]]

+ * [[blondie]]

+ * [[platinum blond]]

+ * [[strawberry blond]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fair]]

+ * [[flaxen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD notes that spelling ''blonde'' for women and ''blond'' for men is a fairly recent practice copied from French; since English adjectives do not normally mark gender, some have suggested that ''blond'' should be used for both sexes.^(AHD) Wiktionary observes that many modern writers use either spelling regardless of gender.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}