sardonic English · revision 1365

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɑːˈdɒnɪk/ ''(UK)''; /sɑɹˈdɑnɪk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|sardonique]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from Latin ''sardonius'', as in ''sardonius risus'',^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from Greek ''sardónios'' “of bitter or scornful laughter”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) an alteration of Homeric ''sardánios'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) a word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline) The Greeks connected it with ''Sardónios'' “Sardinian”, believing that a Sardinian plant caused facial convulsions like bitter laughter,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) usually followed by death.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of laughter or a smile, bitter, scornful and mocking (1638).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ An earlier form was ''sardonian'' (1580s).^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The word first described laughter that only seemed to come from gaiety,^(Etymonline) and was applied to persons, “bitterly ironical”, by 1833.^(Etymonline) In medicine it described a convulsive grin (1822–29).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1580s – ''sardonian''.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+ * 1638 – of laughter, bitter and mocking.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1822–29 – in medicine, a convulsive grin.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1833 – of persons, bitterly ironical.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Scornfully or cynically mocking; [[sarcastic]] or [[sneering]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sardonically]]

+ * [[sardonicism]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''biting'', ''mordant'' and ''contemptuous'' as synonyms.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}