doubt English · revision 2690

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200, Ancrene Riwle|origins=la dubitō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /daʊt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|duten]], douten,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) [[bor|fro|douter|t=to doubt, be doubtful, be afraid]], doter,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[la|dubitō|t=I doubt, hesitate, waver in opinion]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) related to dubius “uncertain”, the source of [[dubious]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from duo “two”, with the sense “of two minds, undecided between two things”.^(Etymonline) The noun is from Old French doute, from the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The -b- was put back in French and English spelling by scribes in imitation of Latin,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) as early as Gower (1393) and regularly from Thomas More (1513);^(Barnhart 1988) French dropped it again in the 17th century, but English kept it, though it was never pronounced.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The word replaced Old English twēogan, from twēo “two”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “To fear, be afraid”, a sense now obsolete: probably before 1200, in the ''Ancrene Riwle'',^(Barnhart 1988) about 1200;^(Etymonline) the noun, “uncertainty”, is also from about 1200.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “fear” developed in Old French and passed into English.^(Etymonline) The meaning “to be uncertain, waver in opinion” is attested from about 1300,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and the transitive “to be uncertain of the truth of, to distrust” from about 1300 too.^(Etymonline) The noun's sense “fear, dread” (before 1225) is also obsolete.^(OED 1989) A matter of uncertainty is a doubt from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) and ''no doubt'', “certainly”, is from about 1400.^(Etymonline) In Scots and northern English dialects ''I doubt'' still means “I fear, I suspect”.^(Wright 1898)^(MW Collegiate) ''Doubtless'' is from about 1380, in Chaucer, and ''doubtful'' from about 1395, in the Wycliffe Bible.^(Barnhart 1988) The first ''doubting Thomas'' was the apostle who would not believe Christ had risen until he had touched his wounds.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1200 – verb, to fear; noun, uncertainty.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – to be uncertain.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1380 – ''doubtless''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1393 – spelling with -b-.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1395 – ''doubtful''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1400 – ''no doubt''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1513 – the -b- spelling regular.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A feeling of [[uncertainty]] or of not being convinced.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A reason for uncertainty: ''doubts about the plan''.^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''no doubt'', ''without doubt'': Certainly.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be uncertain about; to question the truth of.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To [[distrust]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To think unlikely: ''I doubt he'll come''.^(AHD)

+ # ''(archaic, dialect)'' To fear or suspect.^(AHD)^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[doubter]]

+ * [[doubtable]]

+ * [[doubtingly]]

+ * [[doubtably]]

+ * [[doubtingness]]

+ * [[undoubted]]

+ * [[undoubting]]

+ * [[misdoubt]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dubiety]]

+ * [[dubious]]

+ * [[doubtful]]

+ * [[doubtless]]

+ * [[dubitable]]

+ * [[indubitable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A separate ''doubt'', “a redoubt”, is from about 1611.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}