jumbo English · revision 2434

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈdʒʌmbəʊ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈdʒʌmboʊ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It was popularized by Jumbo, a huge elephant of the London Zoo bought by the American showman P. T. Barnum in 1882.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The elephant's name was probably from earlier slang ''jumbo'' “a big, clumsy fellow” (1823),^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) which may in turn be taken from [[mumbo jumbo]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A big, clumsy person, animal or thing (1823).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Barnum's purchase of the elephant in February 1882 caused excitement in America and an outcry in England,^(Etymonline) and the name became a byword for anything very large (1882–1883).^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995) The adjectival use dates from 1897.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) In the 20th century the word was applied to large drilling equipment (1908) and became short for ''jumbo jet'' (1966).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1823 – a big, clumsy person or thing.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1882 – the name of Barnum's elephant; anything very large.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1897 – adjective, of very large size.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1908 – heavy drilling equipment.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1966 – short for ''jumbo jet''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Unusually large.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An unusually large person, animal or thing.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A jumbo jet.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[jumbo jet]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}