number English · revision 1784

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1297|origins=ine-pro *nem-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈnʌm.bə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈnʌm.bɚ/ ''(US)''^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[inh|enm|noumbre]], [[m|enm|nombre]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|xno|noumbre]], [[m|xno|numbre]], Old French [[m|fro|nombre]], and directly from [[la|numerus|t=a number, quantity]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) from [[ine-pro|*nem-|t=to assign, allot, distribute; to take]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Klein 1966) Barnhart reconstructs an earlier Latin form [[m|la|*nomesos]] and gives as cognates [[grc|νέμειν|tr=némein|t=to distribute, manage]], [[grc|νόμος|tr=nómos|t=custom, law]] and [[lt|núoma|t=interest, lease]];^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921)^(Skeat 1911) Merriam-Webster and Partridge relate it to [[nimble]].^(MWU 2024)^(Partridge 1966) The verb is [[inh|enm|noumbren]], from Old French [[m|fro|nombrer]], [[m|fro|numbrer]], from [[m|la|numerāre|t=to count, reckon]], from ''numerus''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) The spelling with ''-b-'' (''number'', about 1475) replaced ''numbre''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The sum or aggregate of a collection of things or persons (1297 in the OED; before 1300 in Barnhart, in ''Arthour and Merlin'').^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “a sum of abstract units” is from the 14th century, and “a written symbol or figure of arithmetic value” from the late 14th century.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The biblical Book of Numbers (about 1400) is so called because it begins with a census of the Israelites.^(Etymonline)^(Weekley 1921)^(OED 1989) From the late 15th century ''numbers'' meant “metrical sound, harmony”, and by the 1580s “poetry, verse”,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) as in Shakespeare's “And in fresh numbers number all your grace”.^(Hendrickson 2008) ''Number'' before a numeral (''number six'') dates from 1691,^(HTOED) “a single issue of a magazine” from 1728 in the Historical Thesaurus (1795 in Etymonline),^(HTOED)^(Etymonline) and ''number one'' “oneself” from about 1700.^(Etymonline)^(Weekley 1921) ''Your number is up'' is first recorded in 1804 (Etymonline gives 1806) in a letter of Charles Lamb, referring to a lottery;^(Cresswell 2021)^(Etymonline) ''to have someone's number'' dates from 1853.^(Etymonline) A telephone number is recorded from 1879 and ''wrong number'' from 1886.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) The sense “an item in a musical programme” (1865 in the Historical Thesaurus, 1885 in Etymonline) comes from theatre programmes in which acts were numbered.^(HTOED)^(Etymonline) The colloquial use for a person or a garment dates from 1894,^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) and ''the numbers'', an illegal lottery, is American from 1897.^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster's Collegiate and the American Heritage Dictionary record the slang ''do a number on'', “to treat harshly or deceive”.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1297 – a sum or aggregate; verb, to count.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1300 – ''numbre''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * late 14th century – a written figure; verb, to assign a number to.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1400 – the Book of Numbers.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1475 – the spelling ''number''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1580s – ''numbers'', poetry, verse.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1691 – before a numeral, as in ''number six''.^(HTOED)

+ * c. 1700 – ''number one'', oneself.^(Etymonline)^(Weekley 1921)

+ * 1728 – an issue of a magazine.^(HTOED)

+ * 1804 – ''your number is up''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1865 – an item in a musical programme.^(HTOED)

+ * 1879 – a telephone number.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1894 – a person or thing; a garment.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1897 – ''the numbers'', an illegal lottery (US).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An arithmetical value expressed by a word, symbol or figure, representing a particular quantity; a [[numeral]].^(COED 2004)^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' A member of the set of positive [[integer|alt=integers]], or of the wider sets such as [[real number|alt=real numbers]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A numeral or series of numerals used for identification: ''a telephone number''.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+ # A total, quantity or amount, and in ''a number of'', several.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(in the plural)'' A large quantity; numerical superiority.^(COED 2004)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A single issue of a magazine.^(COED 2004)^(RHWU)

+ # A song, dance or other item in a performance.^(COED 2004)^(HTOED)

+ # ''(informal)'' A person or thing, especially an item of clothing: ''a little black number''.^(COED 2004)^(GDoS)

+ # ''(grammar)'' The distinction between [[singular]] and [[plural]] forms.^(COED 2004)^(AHD)

+ # ''(archaic, in the plural)'' Metrical verse; poetry.^(Etymonline)^(Hendrickson 2008)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To assign a number to: ''number the pages''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To amount to in number; to total: ''the crew numbers 100''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To count, or include as part of a total: ''numbered among the guests''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To restrict in number: ''his days are numbered''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[numberer]]

+ * [[numberable]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[numeral]]

+ * [[numerous]]

+ * [[enumerate]]

+ * [[numeric]]

+ * [[nimble]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ As a collective noun ''number'' may take a singular or a plural verb: the American Heritage Dictionary notes that it is singular after ''the'' (''the number of skilled workers is small'') and plural after ''a'' (''a number of the workers are unskilled'').^(AHD)^(RHWU) Random House distinguishes ''number'', the result of a count in which the units are considered as individuals, from ''sum'', the result of an addition in which only the total matters.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}