dandelion English · revision 159

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈdæn.dɪˌlaɪ.ən/, /ˈdæn.dəˌlaɪ.ən/ ''(UK)''; /ˈdæn.dəˌlaɪ.ən/, /ˈdæn.diˌlaɪ.ən/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ From [[enm|dent-de-lioun]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline) [[bor|fro|dent de lion|t=lion's tooth]],^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) a translation of [[la-med|dēns leōnis]],^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) from Latin ''dēns'' “tooth” and ''leōnis'', genitive of ''leō'' “lion”.^(AHD)^(Etymonline) The name refers to the toothed outline of the leaves.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) The English spelling reflects the Old French pronunciation at the time of borrowing, after the ''t'' of ''dent'' had probably been lost.^(AHD)

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The plant itself: the earliest recorded instance is in a herbal written in 1373,^(AHD) and the word appears in a personal name, ''Willelmus Dawndelyon'', in 1363.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle English also called the plant ''houndes-tooth'',^(Etymonline) and other names refer to its diuretic properties, such as Middle English ''piss-a-bed'' and French ''pissenlit''.^(Etymonline) Folk names such as ''tell-time'' refer to the custom of telling the hour by blowing the seeds.^(Etymonline) The word also names a vivid yellow colour.^(AHD)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1363 – in the personal name ''Willelmus Dawndelyon''.^(AHD)

+ * 1373 – in a herbal.^(AHD)

+ * mid-15th century – Middle English ''houndes-tooth'' “dandelion”.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1876 – compounds such as ''dandelion clock'' and ''dandelion coffee''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A plant with yellow flower heads, deeply notched leaves, and fluffy seed heads, common as a weed.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A vivid yellow colour.^(AHD)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[blue dandelion]]

+ * [[Russian dandelion]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dent]]

+ * [[lion]]