lilac English · revision 1669

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈlaɪlək/; /ˈlaɪlæk/, /ˈlaɪlɑk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is borrowed from obsolete [[fr|lilac]], now ''lilas'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|ar|ليلك|tr=līlak]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|fa|لیلک|tr=līlak]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) a variant of ''nīlak'' “bluish”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''nīl'' “indigo, blue”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|sa|नील|tr=nīla|t=dark blue]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Etymonline instead derives it from Turkish ''leylak'', noting that the shrub reached Western Europe through Istanbul.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The shrub, as ''lelacke tree'' (1625).^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Etymonline dates the shrub to the 1590s.^(Etymonline) The form ''lilac'' is recorded from 1658.^(Barnhart 1995) The word became a color name in 1791^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and an adjective, “pale pinkish purple”, in 1801.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) It was used of the scent of lilac, as in cosmetics, from 1895.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1625 – the shrub.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1658 – the form ''lilac''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1791 – the color.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1801 – adjective.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1895 – the scent.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of various [[shrub|alt=shrubs]] of the [[olive]] family, especially the common lilac, grown for its fragrant clusters of purple or white flowers.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A pale to moderate purple color.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a pale purple color.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Persian lilac]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anil]]

+ * [[aniline]]

+ * [[indigo]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}