bribe English · revision 373

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /bɹaɪb/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|bribe]],^(AHD)^(MED) [[bor|fro|bribe|t=morsel of bread given to a beggar, alms]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(MED) from ''briber'', ''brimber'' “to beg”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) a general Romance word (compare Spanish ''bribar'' “to beg” and ''briba'' “vagrancy”).^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The group is of uncertain origin;^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) it has been called thieves' cant, and a Celtic source related to [[break]] has been suggested.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ As a verb, to steal, purloin or extort (c. 1386 in the OED; about 1390 in Barnhart);^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) as a noun, something stolen, plunder (c. 1386), or something given to a beggar (about 1425).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word began in French as alms given to a beggar.^(Hendrickson 2008)^(Barnhart 1995) Because beggars came to demand such alms, in English it took on the sense of extortion and theft.^(Hendrickson 2008)^(Etymonline) By the mid-15th century a bribe was a gift given to influence someone corruptly;^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED) at first it seems to have been regarded as something extorted by an official or judge (1535), and later as something offered voluntarily to corrupt someone (1555).^(OED 1989) The verb in the modern sense, to influence corruptly by a reward, dates from 1528.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) ''Bribery'' first meant theft (before 1387).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1386 – verb, to steal, extort.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1387 – ''bribery'', theft.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * about 1425 – noun, a gift to a beggar.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED)

+ * before 1439 – a gift to influence corruptly.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MED)

+ * 1528 – verb, to corrupt with a gift.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1595 – figuratively, to win over.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Money or a favour given or promised to a person in a position of trust in order to influence his or her judgment or conduct.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Something that serves to persuade or induce.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To give, offer or promise a bribe to.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To influence or [[corrupt]] by [[bribery]], or to obtain by a bribe.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To practise bribery.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bribable]]

+ * [[briber]]

+ * [[bribee]]

+ * [[bribability]]

+ * [[unbribed]]

+ * [[unbribing]]

+ * [[bribery]]

+ * [[outbribe]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[graft]]

+ * [[corrupt]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}