party English · revision 2005

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1300 (Kyng Alisaunder)|origins=la pars}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈpɑː.ti/, US /ˈpɑːr.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|partie|t=part, side, group]], [[bor|fro|partie|t=part, share; side; separation]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) the noun use of the feminine past participle of [[m|fro|partir|t=to divide]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|partīre]] or [[m|la|partīrī|t=to share, divide]],^(Etymonline)^(Chambers 2008) from [[m|la|pars|t=part, share]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Some senses, including the military and political ones, follow the later French masculine form [[m|fr|parti]].^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966) Etymonline traces the Latin noun to [[ine-pro|*perə-|t=to grant, allot]].^(Etymonline) The heraldic adjective party “divided into parts of different tinctures” comes from the same French participle.^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A part, division or portion, and a side, end or edge (probably before 1300, in ''Kyng Alisaunder'').^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early use ''party'' often stands where modern English has [[part]].^(Etymonline) About 1300 it came to mean those on one side in a contest, and in law a litigant or a person bound by an agreement,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and also a number of people supporting a cause or person, the root of the political sense.^(Etymonline) Any group of people (early 14th century), a single person (mid-15th century) and a detachment of troops (1640s) followed.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The sense “a gathering for social pleasure” is from 1716, from groups gathered for a purpose such as a dinner party or hunting party, and “a group doing something together” from 1773,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and Barnhart takes both from French ''partie''.^(Barnhart 1988) The verb meant “to side with” (before 1639, now obsolete) and “to have a good time at parties” from 1922, in E. E. Cummings's letters.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''The party is over'' dates from 1937, and ''party pooper'' is American English of 1951.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1300 – a part, side, division (''Kyng Alisaunder'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – a side in a contest, a litigant, a faction.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 14th century – any group of people.^(Etymonline)

+ * mid-15th century – a person.^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1639 – verb, to side with.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1640s – a detachment of troops.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1716 – a social gathering.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1773 – a group doing something together.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1922 – verb, to have a good time at parties.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1937 – ''the party is over''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1951 – ''party pooper'' (American).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A social gathering for pleasure or celebration.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A group of people taking part in an activity: ''a search party''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An organized [[political]] group that seeks to win public office for its candidates.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A person or group involved in a legal case or agreement: ''the parties to a contract''.^(AHD)

+ # A person who takes part in something: ''a party to the plot''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' A person: ''the party in question''.^(RHWU)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a political party: ''party politics''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To celebrate at parties.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[partyless]]

+ * [[biparty]]

+ * [[counterparty]]

+ * [[interparty]]

+ * [[multiparty]]

+ * [[nonparty]]

+ * [[subparty]]

+ * [[partyer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[part]]

+ * [[partisan]]

+ * [[partition]]

+ * [[depart]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Party for “a particular individual” goes back to the 15th century and was once common.^(RHWU) Today it is standard mainly in legal use and is otherwise often humorous or condescending, person being the neutral word.^(RHWU)^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}