early English · revision 2019

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 950 (Old English ǣrlīce)|origins=ang ǣr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈɜː.li/, US /ˈɝː.li/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb is [[inh|enm|erli]], earlier [[m|enm|erliche]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) [[inh|ang|ǣrlīce]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) formed from [[m|ang|ǣr|t=soon, before]] (modern [[ere]]) and the adverb suffix [[m|ang|-līce]] ([[-ly]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) probably after [[non|árliga|t=early]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(COED 2004)^(SOED 2002) RHWU explains ''ǣrlīce'' as a variant of [[m|ang|ārlīce]], with the vowel of ''ǣr''.^(RHWU) Watkins traces ''ǣr'' to [[ine-pro|*ayer-|t=day, morning]].^(AHD 2000) The adjective was formed from the adverb in Middle English, also after Old Norse,^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) though Etymonline cites an Old English adjective, [[m|ang|ǣrlīc]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Near the beginning of a period of time, especially of the day: Old English ''ǣrlīce'', about 950.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adjective appears probably before 1200, in the ''Ancrene Riwle'',^(Barnhart 1988) and the spelling ''early'' only at the end of the 16th century.^(Barnhart 1988) The word was applied to the early part of the year from 1526,^(HTOED) to the beginning of anything from 1595,^(HTOED) to childhood and youth (''early life'') from 1630,^(HTOED) and to a date in the near future (''an early reply'') from 1655.^(HTOED) ''Early to bed, early to rise'' goes back to 1496.^(Cresswell 2021) ''The early bird gets the worm'' is first recorded in 1636 according to Word Origins^(Cresswell 2021) and in the 1670s according to Etymonline.^(Etymonline) ''Early doors'' (1883) was first early admission to a music hall, and was revived in football in the 1970s for the early part of a match.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 950 – Old English adverb ''ǣrlīce''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1200 – adjective (''Ancrene Riwle'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1382 – ''erli'' (Wycliffe Bible).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1496 – ''early to bed, early to rise''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1526 – early in the year.^(HTOED)

+ * late 16th century – the spelling ''early''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1630 – of childhood.^(HTOED)

+ * 1636 – ''the early bird gets the worm''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1655 – soon to come.^(HTOED)

+ * 1883 – ''early doors''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Near the beginning of a period, series or process: ''early morning''.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Belonging to a distant past, or to the first stage of development: ''early man''.^(AHD)

+ # Coming before the usual or expected time; [[premature]].^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+ # Happening in the near future.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Near the beginning of a period or series.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Before the usual or expected time.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[earliness]]

+ * [[earlywood]]

+ * [[early bird]]

+ * [[early blight]]

+ * [[early on]]

+ * [[early saxifrage]]

+ * [[early warning radar]]

+ * [[early warning system]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ere]]

+ * [[erst]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}