bachelor English · revision 366

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/ ''(UK)''; /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lɚ/, /ˈbæt͡ʃ.lɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|bacheler|t=squire, youth]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995) [[bor|fro|bacheler]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) a word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline) It is usually traced to [[la-med|baccalārius]], a tenant farmer or farm hand,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) which Random House connects with Latin ''vacca'' “cow” through a word for a dairy farm.^(RHWU) Other suggestions include a Celtic origin^(AHD)^(Etymonline) and Latin ''baculum'' “stick”, since a squire practised with a staff.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A young man or squire; a young knight who served under another's banner (about 1300).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old French ''bacheler'' already covered a young squire training for knighthood, a young unmarried man and a university title.^(Etymonline) In English the senses are recorded close together: a knight too young or too poor to lead men under his own banner (1297),^(OED 1989) a holder of the lowest university degree (1362),^(OED 1989) and an unmarried man (about 1386).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) A junior member of a trade guild was also called a bachelor (1390).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) In the 19th century the word was applied to young male fur seals kept away from the breeding grounds by older bulls.^(OED 1989)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1297 – a young knight who followed another's banner.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1362 – one who holds the first university degree.^(OED 1989)

+ * about 1386 – an unmarried man of marriageable age.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1390 – a junior member of a trade guild (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1857 – as an adjective, suited to or occupied by a single person.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1874 – a young male fur seal kept from the breeding grounds.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A man who has not married.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who holds a bachelor's degree, or the degree itself.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A male animal, such as a young fur seal, without a mate in the breeding season.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # ''(history)'' A young knight who served under the banner of another.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Suited to or occupied by a single person.^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Unmarried.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bachelordom]]

+ * [[bachelorhood]]

+ * [[bachelorlike]]

+ * [[bachelorly]]

+ * [[bachelorette]]

+ * [[bachelorism]]

+ * [[nonbachelor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[baccalaureate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}