increase English · revision 2597

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1333|origins=la crēscere}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: verb /ɪnˈkriːs/, noun /ˈɪn.kriːs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|encresen]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) [[bor|xno|encress-]], a variant of Old French encreiss-, the stem of encreistre,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[la|incrēscere|t=to grow, increase]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) from [[m|la|in-|t=in]] and [[m|la|crēscere|t=to grow]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) from [[ine-pro|*ker-|t=to grow]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Modern English restored the Latin ''in-'' in the 15th or 16th century,^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) and the spelling ''increase'' became established in the late 1800s.^(Barnhart 1988) The noun is from the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Intransitive, “to become greater in size or number”: the mid-14th century^(Etymonline) or the 14th century in the OED,^(OED 1989) and transitive “to make greater” before 1333^(Barnhart 1988) or the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “To grow in numbers, multiply”, especially by breeding, is from about 1315,^(OED 1989) and “to advance in wealth or power” from 1388.^(OED 1989) The noun, growth in size or numbers, is from about 1374^(OED 1989) or about 1380, in Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales'';^(Barnhart 1988) the offspring of people or animals is from 1390,^(OED 1989) and the rising of a tide from 1555.^(OED 1989) ''On the increase'' is from 1752.^(OED 1989) From the 18th century the noun and verb were distinguished by stress, the noun on the first syllable.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1333 – to make greater.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * mid-14th century – to become greater.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1374 – noun, growth.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1390 – offspring.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1752 – ''on the increase''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 18th century – stress shift in the noun.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To become greater or larger; to [[grow]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # To make greater or larger; to [[augment]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To multiply by breeding.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of increasing; growth.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The amount by which something increases.^(AHD)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Offspring; [[propagation]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[increasable]]

+ * [[increaser]]

+ * [[increasingly]]

+ * [[reincrease]]

+ * [[nonincrease]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[crescent]]

+ * [[decrease]]

+ * [[increment]]

+ * [[create]]

+ * [[accrue]]

+ * [[crescendo]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary compares ''increase'' with ''expand'', ''enlarge'', ''extend'', ''augment'' and ''multiply''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}