measles English · revision 385

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmiːzəlz/ ''(UK)''; /ˈmizəlz/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|maseles]], plural of ''masel'' “spot, pustule”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) probably from Middle Dutch ''masel'' “blemish” or Middle Low German ''masele'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) from Proto-Germanic ''*mas-'' “spot, blemish”, which also gave Old High German ''masala'' “blood blister” and German ''Masern'' “measles”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) The phonetic development is irregular:^(Etymonline) the later forms ''mesels'' and ''meseles'', source of the modern spelling, were probably influenced by Middle English ''mēsel'' “leprous; a leper”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) from Old French ''mesel'', from Latin ''misellus'' “wretched”, a diminutive of ''miser''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An infectious disease marked by an eruption of red spots on the skin (early 14th century; before 1325 in Barnhart, as ''maseles'').^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English the word also meant the pustules themselves.^(Barnhart 1995) Its meaning was later extended to other eruptive diseases, such as ''German measles'',^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and to a disease of pigs and cattle caused by tapeworm larvae.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary) The adjective ''measly'' first described pork infected with measles in the late 16th century,^(Cresswell 2021) and its sense “contemptibly small, mean” dates from the mid-19th century.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1325 – ''maseles'', measles or pustules.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1398 – ''mesels''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * about 1450 – ''meseles''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * late 16th century – ''measly'', of infected pork.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * mid-19th century – ''measly'', contemptibly small.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An acute, highly contagious [[virus|alt=viral]] disease, occurring mostly in children, marked by fever, [[catarrh]]al symptoms and an eruption of small red spots; [[rubeola]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Any of several similar but milder eruptive diseases, such as [[German measles]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A disease of pigs and cattle caused by [[tapeworm]] larvae.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A plant disease producing small spots on leaves or rough bark on trees.^(AHD)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[measly]]

+ * [[German measles]]

+ * [[black measles]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mazer]]

+ * [[miser]]

+ * [[miserable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The word is plural in form but usually takes a singular verb.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}