situation English · revision 3408

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=early 15th century|origins=la situs}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˌsɪt.juˈeɪ.ʃən/, US /ˌsɪtʃ.uˈeɪ.ʃən/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|situacioun]], [[bor|frm|situation]] or directly [[bor|la-med|situātiō|t=a position]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002) from situātus, the past participle of [[m|la-med|situāre|t=to place, locate]],^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) the source of [[situate]],^(SOED 2002) from [[la|situs|t=place, position]],^(Etymonline) from [[ine-pro|*tkei-|t=to settle, dwell]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Place, position or location: the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) The OED's first quotation, for the position of a city or country in relation to its surroundings, is from 1490^(OED 1989) or before 1484 in the Historical Thesaurus.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The physical senses came first: the site of a building from 1542,^(OED 1989)^(HTOED) a place or locality from 1610,^(OED 1989) and a person's place of residence from 1615.^(OED 1989) Then the word moved to people's circumstances: a person's position in life is from 1710,^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) and a state of affairs, a set of circumstances, from 1750.^(HTOED) In fiction and drama a striking set of circumstances is a ''situation'' from 1754.^(HTOED)^(SOED 2002) A post or job is from 1766 in the Historical Thesaurus^(HTOED) or by 1803 in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and is now formal.^(HTOED) ''Situation'' was also an archaic euphemism for pregnancy.^(SOED 2002)^(HTOED) Since 1954, originally in the United States, it has been a colloquial euphemism for a difficult or troubling state of affairs.^(HTOED) ''Situation comedy'' gave [[sitcom]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * early 15th century – place, location.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1490 – the position of a city or country.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1542 – the site of a building.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1710 – a person's position in life.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1750 – a state of affairs.^(HTOED)

+ * 1754 – a striking circumstance in a play.^(HTOED)

+ * 1766 – a job.^(HTOED)

+ * 1954 – a troubling state of affairs.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A set of [[circumstance|alt=circumstances]] at a given moment; a state of affairs.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A difficult or critical set of circumstances.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # The position of something in relation to its surroundings; a location.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A person's position or status with regard to conditions.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # ''(formal)'' A job or post: ''situations vacant''.^(COED 2004)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[situational]]

+ * [[situationally]]

+ * [[situationism]]

+ * [[situation room]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[site]]

+ * [[situate]]

+ * [[situated]]

+ * [[sitcom]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}