jeopardy English · revision 131

5 Oct 2026, 22:03 by bogdan “Add pronunciation, sense history, timeline, meanings, word family, related words” current version
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+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛpədi/ ''(UK)''; /ˈd͡ʒɛpɚdi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)
+ 
  ==Etymology==
  From [[enm|iuparti]],^(OED 1989) [[bor|fro|jeu parti|t=divided game, even game]],^(OED 1989)^(AHD) hence “uncertain chance, uncertainty”, originally a term of chess and similar games.^(OED 1989) The French phrase is from ''jeu'' “game”, [[der|la|iocus|t=jest, game]], and ''parti'', past participle of ''partir'' “to divide”, [[der|la|partīre|t=to divide]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline) The change from ''-parti'' to ''-pardy'' was mainly phonetic, though possibly helped by association with French ''perdre'' “to lose”.^(OED 1989)
  
− Recorded c. 1300 in the sense “a cunning plan, a stratagem”, and from the late 14th century as “danger, risk”.^(Etymonline) See also [[joke]] and [[party]].^(Wiktionary)
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ In chess and similar games, a problem: the regular name for one until 1500.^(OED 1989) Also a position in which the chances of winning and losing hang in the balance, an even chance (c. 1250).^(OED 1989)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ From the idea of an even chance the word passed to “uncertainty”,^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) to “a cunning plan, a stratagem” (c. 1300),^(Etymonline) and by the late 14th century to “danger, risk”, its modern meaning.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In law it names the risk of conviction faced by a defendant on trial.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The adjective ''jeopardous'' “in peril” (mid-15th century) is now obsolete.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 13th century – in chess, “a problem”.^(OED 1989)
+ * c. 1250 – “an even chance; an undecided position”.^(OED 1989)
+ * c. 1300 – “a cunning plan, a stratagem”.^(Etymonline)
+ * c. 1374 – “risk of loss, harm, or death; danger”.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)
+ * 1460 – verb, “to endanger”.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Noun===
+ # Risk of loss, harm, or death; danger.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(law)'' The risk of conviction faced by a defendant on trial.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[jeopard]]
+ * [[jeopardize]]
+ * [[double jeopardy]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[joke]]
+ * [[party]]
  
  ==References==