transpire English · revision 1200

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tɹænˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ ''(UK)''; /tɹænˈspaɪɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|transpirer]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la-med|transpirare]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[af|la|trans-|spiro|t1=through|t2=to breathe]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Barnhart treats it partly as a back-formation from ''transpiration''.^(Barnhart 1995) It is related to [[spirit]] and [[perspire]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To pass off or give off as vapour through pores (1597).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figuratively the word came to mean to leak out, become known (1741),^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) a use Johnson disliked as a needless import from French.^(Etymonline) The sense “to happen, take place” followed by 1755–75,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) probably from a misunderstanding of the “become known” sense.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Wiktionary) Plants were said to ''transpire'' water through their leaves from the 17th century.^(Wiktionary)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1425 – ''transpiracioun'', exhalation.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1597 – to give off as vapour.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1741 – to become known.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1755 – to happen.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To become known; to come to light.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To happen or [[occur]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To give off water vapour, as through the pores of the skin or the [[stoma|alt=stomata]] of leaves.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[transpirable]]

+ * [[untranspired]]

+ * [[transpiration]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[perspire]]

+ * [[respire]]

+ * [[spirit]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary notes that ''transpire'' “become known” was first objected to as a Gallicism but has long been standard,^(AHD) while ''transpire'' “happen” has been criticized for over a century as pretentious and unetymological;^(AHD) in its Usage Panel survey acceptance of this sense rose from 38 to 58 percent.^(AHD) Wiktionary similarly notes that some critics discourage it though it has been common since the 19th century.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}