recreant English · revision 1225

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɹɛkɹɪənt/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɹɛkɹiənt/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''recreaunt'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|fro|recreant|t=yielding, defeated]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) the present participle of ''recroire'' “to yield in a trial by combat; to give up one's allegiance”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la-med|recredere|t=to yield, resign oneself]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[af|la|re-|credo|t1=again, back|t2=to believe, entrust]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Etymonline suggests the notion was “to take back one's pledge”.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[creed]] and [[credo]].^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Confessing oneself defeated, surrendering in combat (probably before 1300; about 1300 in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In medieval trial by combat ''recreant'' was the hateful word by which a loser admitted defeat.^(Etymonline) From this the adjective came to mean cowardly (late 14th century),^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and from 1643 unfaithful to one's duty or allegiance.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The noun meant a coward from about 1400,^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and a traitor or apostate from the 1560s.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1300 – defeated, yielding.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * about 1390 – cowardly.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * about 1400 – noun, a coward.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1560s – noun, a traitor or apostate.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1643 – unfaithful to duty.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Unfaithful or [[disloyal]] to a belief, duty or cause.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[craven|alt=Craven]] or cowardly.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A faithless or disloyal person; a [[traitor]] or [[apostate]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[coward]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[recreance]]

+ * [[recreantly]]

+ * [[unrecreant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[creed]]

+ * [[credo]]

+ * [[credit]]

+ * [[miscreant]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House lists ''dastardly'', ''pusillanimous'', ''faint-hearted'' and ''yellow'' as synonyms of the adjective in its sense of cowardly, and ''faithless'' and ''apostate'' in its sense of disloyal; its antonyms are ''brave'' and ''loyal''.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}