bunkum English · revision 2098

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈbʌŋkəm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is named after Buncombe County, North Carolina,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Etymonline) from a remark by its congressman Felix Walker,^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) who excused a long and irrelevant speech in the House around 1820 by saying he was speaking “for Buncombe”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the phrase ''to talk for (or to) Buncombe'', to speechify for show (1828 in Barnhart; 1820s in Wiktionary).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ At first the word meant insincere speechmaking by a politician meant only to please the voters back home.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary) It then widened to any empty or foolish talk.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) As a noun on its own it is recorded from 1845 (Merriam-Webster) or 1847 (Barnhart).^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995) It was later shortened to [[bunk]] “nonsense”, from which comes [[debunk]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1819–21 – Felix Walker's speech in the 16th Congress.^(RHWU)

+ * 1828 – ''talk for Buncombe''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1845 – noun, nonsense.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1847 – ''bunkum''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Empty, insincere or foolish talk; nonsense.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Insincere speechmaking by a politician meant only to please constituents.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bunk]]

+ * [[debunk]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[buncombe]]

+ * [[claptrap]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}