hold English · revision 3522

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

+

+ {{homograph|1|grasp, keep}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 855 (Old English haldan)|origins=gem-pro *haldaną}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ To grasp or keep is [[inh|enm|holden]], [[inh|ang|haldan]] (West Saxon [[m|ang|healdan]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[gem-pro|*haldaną]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Its cognates include [[ofs|halda]], [[osx|haldan]], [[nl|houden]], [[de|halten]] and [[non|halda]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) and Gothic has haldan, “to tend cattle”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) From the Gothic sense the OED concludes that the verb first meant “to keep, tend, watch over”, as of grazing cattle,^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(Cresswell 2021) a sense preserved in [[behold]].^(Etymonline) Barnhart and Merriam-Webster compare Greek [[m|grc|κέλλω|tr=kéllō|t=to drive a boat ashore]] and Sanskrit kālayati, “he drives”, from [[ine-pro|*kel-]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) The noun is partly from the verb and partly from [[non|hald|t=hold, support, custody]].^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English ''haldan'' is recorded before 855;^(Barnhart 1988) it meant “to contain, grasp, retain”, “to observe a custom” and “to have as one's own”.^(Etymonline) Middle English ''holden'' is probably from about 1175.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old English the verb also meant “to possess, rule”, “to detain” and “to keep back from action”.^(Etymonline) The past participle ''holden'' was replaced by ''held'' in the 16th century, but survives in legal language and in ''beholden''.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The noun meant the act of holding about 1100,^(Etymonline) a grip or support about 1200,^(Etymonline) a place of refuge probably before 1200,^(Barnhart 1988) and a fortified place, a stronghold, about 1300.^(Etymonline) ''Hold back'', “to restrain”, is from the 1530s.^(Etymonline) “To lock up, keep in custody” in modern use is by 1868,^(Etymonline) and the commercial sense “not to sell” is American English by 1875.^(Etymonline) ''No holds barred'', from wrestling, is from 1942.^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 855 – Old English ''haldan''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1100 – noun, the act of holding.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1175 – Middle English ''holden''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1200 – noun, a grip; a refuge.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – a stronghold.^(Etymonline)

+ * 16th century – past participle ''held''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1530s – ''hold back''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1868 – to keep in custody.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1942 – ''no holds barred''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To have and keep in one's grasp.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # To support; to keep from moving or falling.^(AHD)

+ # To keep in custody; to [[detain]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To contain or have room for.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To have or own: ''hold office''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To think or believe: ''hold an opinion''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # To carry on: ''hold a meeting''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # To stay firm or valid: ''the rule still holds''.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act or a way of grasping, as in [[wrestling]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Something to grip for support.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Control or influence: ''a hold over him''.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A delay or [[pause]]: ''on hold''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[holder]]

+ * [[holding]]

+ * [[holdout]]

+ * [[holdup]]

+ * [[household]]

+ * [[stronghold]]

+ * [[freehold]]

+ * [[withhold]]

+ * [[uphold]]

+ * [[beholden]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|ship's cargo space}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1470–1508|origins=ang hol}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The cargo space is an alteration, by association with ''hold'', “to keep”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(COED 2004)^(SOED 2002) of earlier [[inh|enm|holl|t=hull or hold of a ship]] and [[m|enm|hole]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) [[inh|ang|hol|t=hole, hollow]], the source of [[hole]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(COED 2004)^(Cresswell 2021) Etymonline and Barnhart think it was also influenced by the noun meaning “husk, pod”, the source of [[hull]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Klein instead derives it from [[dum|hol|t=hole, hold]].^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The space below a ship's deck: ''holl'' from 1333–52,^(Barnhart 1988) ''hole'' from 1440,^(Barnhart 1988) and the spelling ''hold'' from 1591, in Raleigh's writings;^(Barnhart 1988)^(MW Collegiate) the OED's first example is from 1470–1508.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was later applied to the cargo space of an aircraft.^(SOED 2002)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1333 – ''holl'', the hold of a ship.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1440 – ''hole''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1591 – the spelling ''hold'' (Raleigh).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The space below the deck of a ship, or in an aircraft, where cargo is stored.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[behold]]

+ * [[hole]]

+ * [[hull]]

+ * [[halt]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A third ''hold'' was the title of a high-ranking officer in the Danelaw, from Old Norse ''hǫldr''.^(SOED 2002)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}