murder English · revision 2722

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725, Beowulf|origins=ine-pro *mer-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈmɜː.də/, US /ˈmɝː.dɚ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|morthre]], murthre, murdre,^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[inh|ang|morþor|alt=morðor|t=secret killing, unlawful killing; mortal sin; torment]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*murþrą|alt=*murthran]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from a suffixed form of [[ine-pro|*mer-|t=to rub away, harm; to die]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) the root also of Latin mors “death”, the source of [[mortal]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988) It is cognate with Gothic maurþr, and a variant form gave Old Saxon and Old Frisian morth, Dutch moord, German Mord and Old Norse morð.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The spelling with d probably shows the influence of Anglo-French murdre, Old French mordre, and Medieval Latin murdrum, themselves from the Germanic word;^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) the form murther lasted into the 19th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English, about 725 in ''Beowulf'',^(Barnhart 1988) with the OED's first example of criminal homicide from 971.^(OED 1989) The verb is from about 1200.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old English morþor meant a secret killing.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) In Old Norse custom, morð, secret slaughter by night or of a sleeping man, was a heinous crime, while vig, an acknowledged slaying, was no disgrace, though it called for vengeance or compensation.^(Etymonline) Chaucer's “Mordre wol out” in the ''Nun's Priest's Tale'' (about 1386) made the idea proverbial.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) From the late 13th century it could mean terrible slaughter without moral blame.^(OED 1989) ''Murder'' as a cry for help is from about 1470,^(OED 1989) and ''cry blue murder'', from blue as the colour of harmful things, from the 18th century.^(Cresswell 2021) The verb's sense “to spoil by bad execution” is from the 1640s,^(Etymonline) the weakened sense “a very unpleasant situation” from 1878,^(Etymonline) and the inverted slang sense “something excellent” by 1940.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – Old English morþor.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 971 – criminal homicide.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – verb, to kill.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1386 – ''murder will out''.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1470 – a cry for help.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1640s – verb, to spoil.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1878 – an unpleasant situation.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1940 – something excellent (US slang).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The unlawful, deliberate killing of one person by another.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(informal)'' Something very difficult or unpleasant: ''the traffic was murder''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To kill a person unlawfully and with [[premeditation]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To spoil by bad performance: ''murder a song''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(informal)'' To defeat utterly; to [[trounce]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[murderer]]

+ * [[murderess]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mortal]]

+ * [[mortgage]]

+ * [[mortuary]]

+ * [[murderous]]

+ * [[manslaughter]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In law, ''murder'' is killing with malice aforethought, distinguished from [[manslaughter]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}