difficult English · revision 2601

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1400|origins=la facultās}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəlt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a back-formation [[der|enm|difficulte|t=difficulty]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966) from [[la|difficultās]], from [[m|la|dis-]] and [[m|la|facultās|t=ability, power]], the source of [[faculty]].^(Hoad 1986) Etymonline calls it unetymological, as French has difficile and Latin difficilis.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “Not easy, requiring effort; troublesome”: about 1400^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) or the 14th century.^(Hoad 1986)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “Hard to understand, puzzling” is from 1556.^(OED 1989) Of actions, “hard to carry out”, it is from 1586.^(OED 1989) Of persons, “hard to persuade, stubborn”, is from before 1502,^(OED 1989) and “hard to please, not easy to get on with” from 1589^(OED 1989) or the 1580s.^(Etymonline) A verb ''difficult'', “to make difficult; to perplex”, from French difficulter, was used in the 17th century.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1400 – not easy.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1502 – of a person, stubborn.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1556 – hard to understand.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1589 – hard to please.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1608 – verb, to impede.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Hard to do or achieve; needing much effort or skill.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Hard to bear; [[trying]].^(AHD)

+ # Hard to understand or solve.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Of a person, hard to please, satisfy or manage.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Hard to persuade; [[stubborn]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[difficultly]]

+ * [[superdifficult]]

+ * [[undifficult]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[difficulty]]

+ * [[faculty]]

+ * [[facile]]

+ * [[easy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}