disheveled English · revision 2257

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /dɪˈʃɛvəld/, /dɪsˈʃɛvəld/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|discheveled]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) an alteration of ''dischevele'' “bare-headed, with disordered hair”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|fro|deschevelé]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) the past participle of ''descheveler'' “to disarrange the hair”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from ''des-'' “apart” and ''chevel'' “hair”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la|capillus|t=hair]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Bare-headed or with unkempt hair (about 1380 for ''dischevele'', about 1410 for ''discheveled'').^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster dates the word to 1583.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Originally the word was about hair: first a person with uncovered or untidy hair, then, from the mid-15th century, the hair itself hanging loose and in disorder.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) From about 1600 it was used of disordered dress,^(Etymonline) and today of anything untidy or in disarray.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c1380 – ''dischevele'', with disarranged hair.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * c1410 – ''discheveled''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * mid-15th century – of the hair itself, hanging in disorder.^(Etymonline)

+ * c1600 – with disordered dress.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # In loose disarray; unkempt, as hair or clothing.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Marked by disorder; untidy.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dishevel]]

+ * [[capillary]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The spelling ''dishevelled'' is usual in British English.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}