farce English · revision 2451

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɑɹs/; /fɑːs/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|farse|t=stuffing]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) [[bor|fro|farce|t=stuffing, interlude]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la-vul|*farsa]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la|farciō|t=to stuff, cram]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Etymonline and Barnhart relate the Latin verb to ''frequēns'' “crowded”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Forcemeat, stuffing (late 14th century).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The theatrical sense comes from the French use of ''farce'' for a comic interlude “stuffed” into a religious mystery play.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Etymonline also cites the earlier practice of inserting phrases (''farsia'') into Latin liturgical texts.^(Etymonline) English took over the dramatic sense in the 16th century, for a short play meant only to provoke laughter (1530 in Barnhart, the 1520s in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) By 1696 a farce could be any proceeding as absurd as such a play, a hollow mockery.^(OED 1989) The adjective ''farcical'' followed in 1716.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1390 – forcemeat, stuffing.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1520s–1530 – a short comic dramatic piece.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1676 – farce as a kind of drama.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1696 – a ludicrously futile or insincere proceeding; a mockery.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1716 – ''farcical''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A light comic play built on improbable situations, exaggerated characters and often slapstick.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The broad humour typical of such plays.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A ridiculous, empty show; a mockery.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(cooking)'' Forcemeat; stuffing.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To stuff, as for roasting.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To pad out a speech or composition, especially with witty material.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[farcical]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[forcemeat]]

+ * [[frequent]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}