jejune English · revision 1322

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /d͡ʒəˈdʒuːn/, /d͡ʒiˈdʒuːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|iēiūnus|t=fasting, hungry; meagre, barren]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a word of obscure origin.^(Etymonline) De Vaan, cited by Etymonline, links it to a root meaning “to worship”, from the custom of making the first sacrifice of the day on an empty stomach.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Dull, flat, insipid (1615).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The literal Latin sense “fasting, hungry” was used briefly in English (before 1619) and is obsolete.^(OED 1989) From 1646 the word meant lacking nourishment or substance,^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) as of land or food.^(OED 1989) The sense “puerile, childish, naive” dates from 1898;^(OED 1989) the OED suggests it may come from the mistaken belief that the word is related to Latin ''juvenis'' “young”.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1615 – dull, insipid.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1619 – fasting, hungry, now obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1646 – lacking nourishment.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1898 – childish, naive.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Dull and lacking interest or significance; [[insipid]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Childish or immature; [[naive]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Lacking in nutritive value.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[jejunely]]

+ * [[jejuneness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[jejunum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}