public English · revision 1808

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1394|origins=la populus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpʌb.lɪk/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|publik]], [[bor|fro|public]] and directly [[bor|la|pūblicus|t=of the people; of the state]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) an alteration, influenced by [[m|la|pūbēs|t=the adult population; adult]], of Old Latin [[m|la|poplicus|t=of the people]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) from [[m|la|populus|t=people]],^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) which the American Heritage Dictionary considers of Etruscan origin.^(AHD 2000) The spelling ''public'' began to appear in the 1600s as a return to the Latin form and became usual in the early 1800s.^(Barnhart 1988) The same Latin word is behind [[publish]] and [[republic]], and is related to [[people]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Open to general observation or knowledge (1394, as ''pupplik'').^(Barnhart 1995)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “of or concerning the people as a whole” followed in 1427,^(Barnhart 1995)^(HTOED) and “open to all in the community” in the 1540s;^(Etymonline) Old English had used ''folclic'' in this sense.^(Etymonline) The noun meaning “the community, the nation” is first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921) and the meaning “people in general” in 1665.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) A ''public school'' was an endowed private school in 1580 but a free, tax-funded school in 1636,^(Barnhart 1995) which is why the term means a fee-paying school in England and a state school in North America.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Public house'' dates from the early 17th century, and its shortening ''pub'' from about 1800 according to the Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins;^(Cresswell 2021) Hendrickson dates ''pub'' from 1865.^(Hendrickson 2008) ''Public opinion'' is from 1781.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1394 – ''pupplik'', open to general observation.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1427 – of or concerning the people as a whole.^(Barnhart 1995)^(HTOED)

+ * c. 1500 – ''in public''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1540s – open to all in the community.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580 – ''public school'', an endowed school.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1611 – (noun) the community, the nation.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1614 – ''public library''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1665 – (noun) people in general.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1781 – ''public opinion''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1865 – ''pub'', short for ''public house''.^(Hendrickson 2008)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or concerning the people as a whole: ''public opinion''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # Open to or used by everyone: ''a public library''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Provided by the state rather than by a private company: ''public services''.^(COED 2004)

+ # Done or existing openly: ''a public protest''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Well known; involved in the affairs of the community: ''a public figure''.^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of a company, having shares that can be traded on the open market.^(AHD)^(Black's Law 2004)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The people as a whole; the [[community]].^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # A group of people with a common interest: ''the reading public''.^(AHD)

+ # The admirers or followers of a famous person.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[publicness]]

+ * [[John Q. Public]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[people]]

+ * [[population]]

+ * [[pub]]

+ * [[publican]]

+ * [[publication]]

+ * [[publicise]]

+ * [[publicize]]

+ * [[publicist]]

+ * [[publicity]]

+ * [[publish]]

+ * [[republic]]

+ * [[popular]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}