raucous English · revision 1305

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɹɔːkəs/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɹɔkəs/, /ˈɹɑkəs/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It was formed from [[la|raucus|t=hoarse, harsh]]^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) with the suffix [[-ous]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) ''Raucus'' is related to ''rāvus'' or ''rāvis'' “hoarseness”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) Middle English had borrowed the same word as ''rauc'' “hoarse”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Hoarse, rough, harsh-sounding (1769).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From harsh sounds the word was extended to noisy, disorderly behaviour, as in a raucous party.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * probably before 1425 – ''rauc'', hoarse.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1769 – hoarse, harsh-sounding.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1852 – ''raucously''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Harsh, loud and grating in sound; [[strident]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Noisy and disorderly; [[rowdy]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[raucously]]

+ * [[raucousness]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''rough'', ''jarring'' and ''raspy'' as synonyms, and ''soft'', ''mellow'' and ''dulcet'' as antonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}