artillery English · revision 10820

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1386|origins=xno artillerie}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ɑːˈtɪl.ər.i/, US /ɑːrˈtɪl.ɚ.i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|xno|artillerie]], Old French artillerie, implements of war,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from artillier, to equip with engines of war.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The verb, whose spelling was influenced by art, skill, may come from atillier, an alteration of atirier, to arrange, from a-, to, and tire, order, rank (see [[tier]]);^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) other sources refer it to Medieval Latin articulum, art, skill.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Munitions or implements of war, especially engines for throwing missiles: about 1386 in the OED, about 1390 in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Originally any engine for discharging missiles, including catapults, slings and bows, was artillery;^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Trench quotes Ascham's Toxophilus on the Parthians, whose “artillery” was archery.^(Trench 1859) The modern restriction to large guns and cannon dates from the 16th century, about 1533 in the OED.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Technically it covers firearms discharged from carriages, as opposed to small arms.^(Etymonline) The branch of an army using such guns is called artillery from 1786.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1386 – munitions of war.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1476 – catapults, bows (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1533 – large guns.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1786 – the branch of the army.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Large guns such as [[cannon]], howitzers and missile launchers.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The branch of an army that uses such guns.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The science of using such guns.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[artillerist]]

+ * [[artilleryman]]

+ * [[field artillery]]

+ * [[heavy artillery]]

+ * [[artillery plant]]

+ * [[light artillery]]

+ * [[medium artillery]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tier]]

+ * [[attire]]

+ * [[art]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}