owner English · revision 2866

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1340|origins=en own}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈəʊnə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈoʊnɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|ownere]], an agent noun formed from [[own]] and the suffix [[-er]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) Middle English ownen, “to possess”, is from [[m|ang|āgnian|t=to take or assign possession of]].^(MWU 2024) The Old English word was āgnere.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ One who owns something, one with legal title: 1340 in the OED,^(OED 1989) the mid-14th century in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) Random House dates it to 1300–50.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Historical Thesaurus places the sense “possessor, proprietor” from Old English, counting the earlier word, and also uses it of racehorse owners.^(HTOED) In nautical slang ''the owner'' is the captain of a ship from 1903,^(HTOED) and the captain of an aircraft from 1943.^(HTOED) In the English West Country the owner of a barge or boat was ''owner'', often as a title.^(Wright 1898) Compounds such as ''owner-occupier'' and ''owner-driver'' are from 1937.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1340 – one who owns.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1903 – the captain of a ship (slang).^(HTOED)

+ * 1937 – ''owner-occupier'' and similar compounds.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1943 – the captain of an aircraft (slang).^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who [[own|alt=owns]] something; a legal [[possessor]] or [[proprietor]].^(COED 2004)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(slang)'' The captain of a ship or aircraft.^(Chambers 2008)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[owner-operator]]

+ * [[landowner]]

+ * [[homeowner]]

+ * [[nonowner]]

+ * [[shareowner]]

+ * [[shipowner]]

+ * [[storeowner]]

+ * [[ownership]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[own]]

+ * [[owe]]

+ * [[ought]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}