big English · revision 1782

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=c. 1300 (Havelok)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /bɪɡ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|big]], [[m|enm|bigge]],^(Wiktionary)^(MED) a word of obscure origin first found chiefly in texts from northern England and the north Midlands.^(Etymonline)^(MED)^(Hoad 1986) It is perhaps from a Scandinavian source;^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) the dictionaries compare [[no|bugge|t=strong man, important man]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED)^(MW Collegiate) and Merriam-Webster and Webster's Third call a Scandinavian origin probable.^(MWU 2024)^(Webster's Third 1961) Weekley notes the personal name Bicga in the 11th century and links it with the name Bucga and with the Norwegian word.^(Weekley 1921) Partridge and Hendrickson mention a connection with [[la|bucca|t=puffed-out cheek]], the basic idea being “puffed up”, but present it only as a possibility.^(Partridge 1966)^(Hendrickson 2008) Johnson recorded the older guesses of Junius (from Greek) and Skinner (from [[da|bug|t=belly]]).^(Johnson 1755) Old English used [[m|ang|micel]] (see [[much]]) in many of the same senses.^(Etymonline) The dialect verb ''big'' “to build” is a different word, [[inh|enm|biggen]], [[bor|non|byggja|t=to build, dwell]].^(MWU 2024)^(Klein 1966)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of persons and animals, strong, sturdy, powerful (about 1300, in ''Havelok'').^(Barnhart 1988)^(MED)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Big'' was rare before 1400.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED) The general sense “of great size, large” appears about 1380, in ''Patience'' and ''Pearl'', and soon after in Chaucer's ''Troilus and Criseyde'';^(Barnhart 1988) the OED and the Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins treat these early examples as doubtful, finding clear cases of mere size only in the 15th century.^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) The sense “full-grown” also dates from the late 14th century, and “important, influential, powerful” from about 1400.^(Etymonline) ''Big'' for a pregnant woman is recorded from 1535,^(HTOED) as in Lyly's “I went a whole year big” (1580);^(GDoS) of the voice, “loud, full”, from 1549.^(HTOED) The meaning “haughty, inflated with pride” dates from the 1570s,^(Etymonline) and talking and looking big, boastful, from the early 17th century.^(GDoS)^(Brewer 1898) The sense “elder”, as in ''big brother'', is first found in 1809,^(HTOED)^(Cresswell 2021) and Orwell's ''Big Brother'' in ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (1949) soon came to mean any organization exercising total control.^(Cresswell 2021) The sense “generous”, often ironic (''that's big of you''), is American from about 1910;^(HTOED)^(Etymonline) “popular, famous” dates from 1954.^(HTOED) Phrases include ''big game'' (1864), ''big top'' (1895), ''big business'' (1913), ''big band'' (1926) and ''big-ticket'' (1956).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – strong, sturdy, in ''Havelok''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MED)

+ * c. 1380 – of great size, in ''Patience'' and ''Pearl''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1400 – important, powerful; comes into general use.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1535 – pregnant.^(HTOED)

+ * 1563 – as an adverb.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570s – haughty, proud.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1809 – elder, in ''big brother''.^(HTOED)

+ * 1833 – as a noun, an important person.^(MWU 2024)^(HTOED)

+ * 1864 – ''big game''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1910 – generous (US).^(HTOED)

+ * 1949 – ''Big Brother'', in Orwell.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1954 – popular, famous.^(HTOED)

+ * 1992 – ''big up'', to praise (slang).^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of great size, amount, number or extent; [[large]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of great force: ''a big storm''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Grown-up; of a sibling, older: ''my big brother''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)^(RHWU)

+ # [[pregnant|alt=Pregnant]], especially near the time of birth.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(GDoS)

+ # Important, influential or powerful: ''a big name''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of great significance; momentous: ''a big decision''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Self-important; boastful.^(AHD)^(Chambers 2008)

+ # Of the voice, loud and full.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # ''(informal)'' Generous, often used ironically: ''that's big of you''.^(AHD)^(Dalzell 2013)

+ # ''(informal)'' Popular or successful.^(COED 2004)^(HTOED)

+ # Of wine, full-bodied.^(Chambers 2008)^(HTOED)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Boastfully: ''talk big''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # With great success: ''won big''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # On a large scale: ''think big''.^(MW Collegiate)^(HTOED)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal)'' An important person or organization; in the plural, the [[major league|alt=major leagues]].^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024)^(GDoS)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(slang)'' To praise or promote (''big up'').^(COED 2004)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[biggish]]

+ * [[bigly]]

+ * [[bigness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[much]]

+ * [[boast]]

+ * [[bug]]

+ * [[large]]

+ * [[great]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House treats ''big'', ''great'' and ''large'' as near synonyms, with ''little'' as the opposite.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}