sophomore English · revision 347

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈsɒf.ə.mɔː/ ''(UK)''; /ˈsɑf.mɔɹ/, /ˈsɔf.mɔɹ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an alteration of ''sophumer'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from obsolete ''sophom'' or ''sophume'', variants of [[sophism]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) The later spelling was probably influenced by Greek ''sophós'' “wise” and ''mōrós'' “foolish, dull”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) which Merriam-Webster gives as the possible source;^(MW Collegiate) Etymonline calls this a folk etymology.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ At Cambridge, a student in the second year of university study.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) The earlier ''sophumer'' referred to a student taking part in the dialectic exercises of the middle years of study.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word fell out of use at Cambridge^(OED 1989) but survived in American colleges for a second-year student,^(OED 1989)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) and was later applied to a tenth-grade high-school student.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) As an adjective it is used of anything second in a series, such as a band's second album.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary) The Century Dictionary, quoted by Etymonline, saw in the ''sophos'' + ''mōros'' spelling an allusion to the inflated opinion students of that age have of their own wisdom.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1603 – ''sophom'', a variant of ''sophism''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1653 – ''sophumer'';^(Barnhart 1995) Etymonline gives the 1650s and RHWU 1645–55.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+ * 1688 – ''sophomore'', at Cambridge.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1726 – in American colleges.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1778 – attributive use, as in ''sophomore class''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1813 – ''sophomoric''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1953 – adjective, second in a series.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A second-year student at a college or a four-year high school.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person in the second year of some endeavour.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or relating to sophomores.^(RHWU)

+ # Second in a series, as a second album.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sophomoric]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[moron]]

+ * [[oxymoron]]

+ * [[sophy]]

+ * [[sophist]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}