pedant English · revision 2415

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɛdənt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|pédant]] or [[it|pedante|t=teacher, schoolmaster]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) a word of uncertain origin.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Etymonline takes it as an alteration of Late Latin ''paedagōgāns'', present participle of ''paedagōgāre'' “to teach”;^(Etymonline) the American Heritage Dictionary suggests a Vulgar Latin ''*paedēns'', ultimately from Greek ''paideúein'' “to educate”, from ''paîs'' “child”.^(AHD) Random House also compares [[pedagogue]].^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A schoolmaster, teacher or tutor (1588).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Within a few years the word took on its modern sense: someone who overrates book learning or shows it off unduly (1596).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The old sense “schoolmaster” is now obsolete.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) ''Pedantic'' dates from about 1600 and ''pedantry'' from 1612.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1588 – a schoolmaster or tutor (obsolete).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1596 – one who makes an undue show of learning.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * about 1600 – ''pedantic''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1612 – ''pedantry''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who makes an excessive display of learning.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who lays undue stress on rules and minor details.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' A schoolmaster.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pedantic]]

+ * [[pedantry]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pedagogue]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}