lucky English · revision 3334

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=mid-15th century|origins=en luck}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈlʌk.i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a derivation, [[af|en|luck|-y]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986) Barnhart notes that [[luck]] itself could possibly be a back-formation from earlier lukky, though it is more likely from Middle Dutch luc.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of persons, having good luck: the mid-15th century in Etymonline^(Etymonline) and the 15th century in Merriam-Webster;^(MWU 2024) the OED's first example is from 1502.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of actions and objects, “likely to bring luck”, it is from the 1540s,^(Etymonline) or 1548 in the OED.^(OED 1989) “Occurring by chance, fortuitous” is from the 1590s.^(Etymonline) Of a piece of writing, “happily expressed without effort”, it is from 1700.^(OED 1989) ''Lucky accident'' is from the 1660s, ''lucky dog'' from 1842, and ''lucky break'' from 1884, in billiards.^(Etymonline) In Scots ''lucky'' or ''luckie'' was also a familiar name for an elderly woman, a grandmother or the landlady of an alehouse, from the early 18th century,^(SOED 2002)^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898) and the slang phrase ''cut one's lucky'', “to run away”, is from 1834.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * mid-15th century – of persons, fortunate.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1548 – of actions, attended by luck.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590s – happening by chance.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1660s – ''lucky accident''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1717 – Scots noun, an alehouse landlady.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1834 – ''cut one's lucky''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1842 – ''lucky dog''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1884 – ''lucky break''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having or resulting from good [[luck]]; [[fortunate]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Happening by chance; [[fortuitous]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Believed to bring good luck: ''a lucky number''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[luckiness]]

+ * [[luckily]]

+ * [[superlucky]]

+ * [[unlucky]]

+ * [[happy-go-lucky]]

+ * [[lucky dip]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[luck]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}