count English · revision 3016

+ English has two words spelled ''count'': “to reckon numbers”, from Latin computāre, and the title of nobility, from Latin comes “companion”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kaʊnt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|reckon}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1369, Chaucer|origins=la computō}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[inh|enm|counten]],^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|conter|t=to count, add up; to tell a story]], also cunter,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|computāre|t=to count, sum up, reckon together]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|com-|t=together]] and [[m|la|putāre|t=to reckon]], originally “to prune”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*pau-|t=to cut, strike, stamp]].^(Etymonline) It is a doublet of [[compute]].^(Barnhart 1988) The noun is [[inh|enm|counte]], [[bor|fro|conte|t=a reckoning]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la-lat|computus|t=calculation]].^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Modern French separates compter “to count” and conter “to tell”, but they are the same word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb: “to value”, 1369, in Chaucer's ''Book of the Duchess'', with ''counting'' “reckoning” from 1341.^(Barnhart 1988) “To enumerate” is from about 1380 in Barnhart^(Barnhart 1988) and about 1325 in the OED.^(OED 1989) The noun, a reckoning or account, is from before 1325.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “To reckon among, include” is from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) and “to esteem, consider” from about 1325.^(OED 1989) ''To count on'', “to rely on”, is from the 1640s,^(Etymonline) ''count out'', “to leave out of consideration”, from 1854, and ''count in'' from 1857.^(Etymonline) The intransitive sense “to be of value, matter” is from 1857.^(Etymonline) The noun meant the total counted from the late 15th century,^(Etymonline) and “consideration, esteem” in the same period.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) In law a ''count'' is each charge in an indictment, from the 1580s.^(Etymonline) In boxing the referee's counting of ten seconds is by 1902,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and in baseball the number of balls and strikes by 1909.^(Etymonline) The ''counter'' over which goods are sold, originally a table for counting, is from the late 17th century.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1325 – noun, a reckoning.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1325 – verb, to enumerate.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1369 – verb, to value.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 15th century – the total counted.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580s – a charge in an indictment.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1640s – ''count on''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1857 – to matter.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1902 – the count in boxing.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To name or list items one by one to find the [[total]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To say numbers in order: ''count to ten''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To include in a reckoning, or to consider: ''count yourself lucky''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To be important; to [[matter]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To rely on: ''you can count on me''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of counting, or the number reached.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(law)'' Each separate charge in an [[indictment]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(boxing)'' The referee's counting of seconds over a fallen boxer.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[counter]]

+ * [[countless]]

+ * [[countdown]]

+ * [[recount]]

+ * [[account]]

+ * [[discount]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|nobleman}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1258|origins=la comes}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|xno|counte|t=count, earl]], Old French conte,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|comes|t=companion, attendant]], accusative comitem,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|com-|t=with]] and the stem of [[m|la|īre|t=to go]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*ei-|t=to go]];^(Etymonline) it is literally “one who goes with another”.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A title of nobility in European countries: 1258 in the OED.^(OED 1989) Barnhart dates the title to about 1425, and earlier ''counte'' “a shire” to about 1303.^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline gives about 1300.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Rome a comes was a companion of a great person, then an adviser of the emperor, and finally a high officer; these officers were the models of the medieval counts.^(Etymonline) Anglo-French used the word to render Old English eorl, but it never became naturalized in English and was used mainly of foreign titles,^(Etymonline) corresponding to the English [[earl]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(OED 1989) ''Count palatine'' is from 1596.^(OED 1989) The territory ruled by a count gave [[county]].^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1258 – a continental title of nobility.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1303 – ''counte'', a shire.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1596 – ''count palatine''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A nobleman in some European countries, equal in rank to an English [[earl]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[countess]]

+ * [[county]]

+ * [[viscount]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[compute]]

+ * [[contessa]]

+ * [[computer]]

+ * [[putative]]

+ * [[amputate]]

+ * [[concomitant]]

+ * [[constable]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}