door English · revision 3378

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /dɔː/, US /dɔːr/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|dore]], also dure,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|dor|t=large door, gate]], a neuter noun, merged with [[m|ang|duru|t=door, gate]], a feminine one,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) the first from a singular form and the second from a plural.^(Etymonline) Both are from [[gem-pro|*dur-]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) the source also of Old Saxon duru, Old Norse [[m|non|dyrr]], Old High German [[m|goh|turi]] and German [[m|de|Tür]] and [[m|de|Tor|t=gate]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Klein 1966) The root is [[ine-pro|*dʰwer-|alt=*dhwer-|t=door, doorway]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) which also gave Latin [[m|la|forēs|t=door]] and Greek [[m|grc|θύρα|tr=thúra]].^(MWU 2024)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) The oldest forms in Indo-European are often dual or plural, which has led to speculation that early houses had doors with two halves.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English duru is first recorded about 725, in ''Beowulf'', and dor about 1000.^(Barnhart 1988) The figurative sense “a means of entrance or opportunity” was already in Old English, from about 825.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle English had both dure and dor;^(Etymonline) dore predominated by the 16th century but was later replaced by the spelling ''door'',^(Etymonline) recorded from 1504.^(OED 1989) The doorway or opening itself is a door from 1382.^(OED 1989) ''Door to door'', “from house to house”, is from about 1300, and as an adjective of selling by 1902.^(Etymonline) Counting houses by doors, as in ''two doors down'', is from 1669.^(OED 1989) The verb, to strike a passing cyclist by opening a car door, and to work as a doorman, are recent American uses.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – ''duru'', in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 825 – a means of entrance, figurative.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1000 – ''dor''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1300 – ''door to door''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1382 – a doorway.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1504 – the spelling ''door''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1669 – counting houses by doors.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A movable barrier, usually on [[hinge|alt=hinges]], that closes an entrance to a building, room or vehicle.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A [[doorway]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A house or room that a door leads into: ''two doors down''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A means of access or opportunity.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To strike a passing cyclist by suddenly opening a car door.^(AHD)

+ # To work as a [[doorman]] at.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[doorless]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[foreign]]

+ * [[forum]]

+ * [[forest]]

+ * [[thyroid]]

+ * [[doorway]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}