birthday English · revision 3398

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1000|origins=en birth, en day}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/, US /ˈbɝːθ.deɪ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|birthe day]],^(MWU 2024) a compound of [[birth]] and [[day]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) replacing [[ang|ġebyrddæġ|t=birthday]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The anniversary of one's birth, or its celebration, at first usually of a king or saint: Old English, about 1000.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The Middle English form is from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The day on which a person is born, rather than its anniversary, is from 1580 in the OED^(OED 1989) and the 1570s in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and figuratively the day of one's spiritual rebirth.^(OED 1989) ''Birthnight'' is from the 1620s.^(Etymonline) Combinations such as ''birthday cake'', ''birthday card'' and ''birthday present'' are recorded from 1860,^(OED 1989) and ''in one's birthday suit'', “naked”, is a jocular phrase.^(Chambers 2008)^(COED 2004)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – the anniversary of one's birth.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – Middle English ''birthe day''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580 – the day of one's birth.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1620s – ''birthnight''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1860 – ''birthday cake'' and similar.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[anniversary]] of the day on which a person was born, often celebrated.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The day of one's birth.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The anniversary of the founding of something.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[birthday suit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[birth]]

+ * [[day]]

+ * [[birthright]]

+ * [[birthplace]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}