youth English · revision 3390

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /juːθ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|youthe]],^(MWU 2024) earlier youhthe,^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|ġeoguþ|t=youth; young people; young warriors]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gmw-pro|*jugunþ-]],^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988) altered, according to the OED, from [[gem-pro|*juwunþiz]] under the influence of its opposite *dugunþiz “ability”, the source of Old English duguþ.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) It is formed from the root of [[young]] and the abstract suffix [[-th]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[ine-pro|*yeu-|t=vital force, youthful vigour]].^(Etymonline) It is cognate with Dutch jeugd and German Jugend,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) and Latin juventa is related.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) In Middle English the -g- became a yogh and then disappeared.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English ġeoguþ: about 725, in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988) The time of being young and young people collectively are in the OED from about 897.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old English used it for the early stage of life, for young people collectively, for the young warriors of a band, and for young cattle.^(Etymonline) The quality typical of the young, such as freshness or vigour, is from 971.^(OED 1989) A young person, especially a young man, is from about 1200, and in this sense the word has a plural.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) An English form ''youngth'' is recorded in 1303.^(Barnhart 1988) The figurative “early stage of existence” is from 1602.^(OED 1989) ''Youthful'' is from 1561,^(Barnhart 1988) and ''youth hostel'' is attested by 1929.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 897 – the time of being young; young people.^(OED 1989)

+ * 971 – youthful freshness.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – a young man.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1561 – ''youthful''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1602 – an early stage of existence.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1929 – ''youth hostel''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The time of life between childhood and adulthood.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The state or quality of being young.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A young person, especially a young man in his late teens.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Young people as a group: ''the youth of today''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # An early stage of development.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[youthless]]

+ * [[youthful]]

+ * [[youthen]]

+ * [[youthquake]]

+ * [[fountain of youth]]

+ * [[youth group]]

+ * [[youth hostel]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[young]]

+ * [[juvenile]]

+ * [[junior]]

+ * [[youngster]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}