vicious English · revision 16159

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1340, Rolle|origins=la vitium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈvɪʃəs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|vicious]] (earlier [[m|enm|vecious]]), [[bor|xno|vicious]] and Old French [[m|fro|vicieus]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026)^(AHD 2024) and directly [[bor|la|vitiōsus|t=faulty, defective, corrupt]],^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|vitium|t=fault, vice]].^(AHD 2024)^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) It is the adjective of ''[[vice]]''.^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of habits and practices, of the nature of vice, immoral: about 1340, in Richard Rolle.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English it also meant unwholesome and, of a text, corrupt,^(MED)^(Etymonline) and in law, made void by some defect (1393).^(OED 2026)^(Hoad 1986) From that came the logical sense, spoiled by a fault, as in ''[[vicious circle]]'',^(Etymonline) a translation of [[la-new|circulus vitiosus]] (about 1792), later a worsening cycle of events (1839).^(Barnhart 1988) Of horses and other animals, savage or not properly broken, is dated by the 1690s in Etymonline and 1711 in the OED and Barnhart;^(Etymonline)^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) Weekley thought this use may reflect Anglo-French ''wischus'', restive.^(Weekley 1921) Full of malice or spite is from 1825, and of weather, severe, from 1882.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1340 – immoral, of habits.^(OED 2026)

+ * c. 1386 – of persons, depraved.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1393 – legally void (law).^(OED 2026)

+ * 1711 – of animals, savage.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1792 – ''vicious circle''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1825 – spiteful, malicious.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Deliberately cruel or violent: ''a vicious attack''.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Full of [[malice]] or spite: ''vicious rumours''.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of an animal, fierce and dangerous.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' Very severe: ''a vicious wind''.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[viciously]]

+ * [[viciousness]]

+ * [[unvicious]]

+ * [[vicious circle]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vice]]

+ * [[vitiate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}