huckleberry English · revision 1504

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=compound|attested=1670}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈhʌkl̩b(ə)ɹi/ ''(UK)''; /ˈhʌkl̩ˌbɛɹi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably [[inh|enm|hurtilbery|t=whortleberry]] (1452–54), altered in form,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966) from [[m|enm|hurtil]], probably a diminutive of [[ang|horte|t=whortleberry]], and [[berry]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Partridge 1966) The origin of ''horte'' is unknown.^(Partridge 1966)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The fruit and plant of species of ''Gaylussacia'', low shrubs common in North America (1670 in the OED, Barnhart and Merriam-Webster; 1660s in Etymonline).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word is American English.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)^(Weekley 1921) It is also widely applied to the closely related [[blueberry]],^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) and in Britain to the [[whortleberry]].^(Collins 2023) In 19th-century American speech it meant a small amount (1832) and a person of little consequence (1835),^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and the phrase ''to be someone's huckleberry'' meant to be just the right person for something (1832).^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary) Etymonline suggests that the sense “person of little consequence” inspired Mark Twain's ''Huckleberry Finn''.^(Etymonline)^(Partridge 1966)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1452–54 – ''hurtilbery''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1670 – ''huckelberry''.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1751 – ''huckleberry pie''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1832 – a small amount, and ''someone's huckleberry''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1835 – a person of little consequence.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of various North American shrubs of the genus ''Gaylussacia'', related to the blueberries.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The glossy, blackish, many-seeded edible [[berry]] of these plants.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A [[blueberry]], or in Britain a [[whortleberry]].^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dwarf huckleberry]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[whortleberry]]

+ * [[bilberry]]

+ * [[blueberry]]

+ * [[berry]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}