conquest English · revision 39694

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1315, W. Shoreham, Poems|origins=la conquīrō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * UK: /ˈkɒŋkwɛst/, /ˈkɒŋkwəst/^(Wiktionary)

+ * US: /ˈkɑnkwɛst/, /ˈkɑnkwəst/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It continues two Old French nouns: [[bor|fro|conqueste|t=conquest, acquisition]] and [[m|fro|conquest|t=acquisition]],^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) in Anglo-Norman since the mid 12th century.^(AND) They are the feminine and masculine past participles of [[m|fro|conquerre|t=to conquer]],^(Klein 1966)^(SOED 2002) from the participle [[la-vul|*conquaesītus]], altered from [[m|la|conquīsītus]], the past participle of [[m|la|conquīrō|t=to search for, bring together]],^(MWU 2024)^(AHD 2024)^(Dictionary.com 2016) the Latin source of [[conquer]].^(OED 2026)^(MWU 2024) Etymonline also cites [[m|la-med|conquista]] in Medieval Latin.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[quest]] and [[conquistador]].^(Dictionary.com 2016)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The act of overcoming or defeating an enemy; victory: c1315, in the poems of William of Shoreham.^(OED 2026) Etymonline dates the sense "defeat of an adversary" to the early 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense "acquisition by force of arms, subjugation of a country" followed about 1325,^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) and the Anglo-Norman word already covered both military conquest and gain or acquisition in general.^(AND) By 1389 ''the Conquest'' was used for William of Normandy's seizure of the English crown in 1066,^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) a sense Anglo-Norman also had.^(AND) From 1393, in Gower, it meant a possession won in war, a conquered territory.^(OED 2026) Shakespeare used it figuratively for winning someone's favour or affection, and Donne for a person so won.^(OED 2026) Johnson (1755) defined it as the act of conquering and as "Acquisition by victory; thing gained".^(Johnson 1755) In Scots law ''conquest'' meant real property acquired other than by inheritance, as opposed to ''heritage'', until the distinction was abolished in 1874,^(OED 2026) and in Ayrshire it also meant acquired wealth or gains.^(Wright 1898) Canadian English uses ''the Conquest'' for the British conquest of French North America, which ended in 1763.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c1315 – the act of overcoming an enemy; victory.^(OED 2026)

+ * c1325 – acquisition by force of arms; subjugation.^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1389 – ''the Conquest'', the Norman Conquest of England.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1393 – a possession won in war; conquered territory.^(OED 2026)

+ * a1616 – the winning of someone's favour or affection (Shakespeare).^(OED 2026)

+ * a1631 – a person whose affection has been won (Donne).^(OED 2026)

+ * 1677 – the state of being conquered.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of [[conquer|alt=conquering]] a country or people by force; [[subjugation]]: ''the Spanish conquest of Peru''.^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # A territory or thing that has been conquered.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # The overcoming of a difficulty or a challenge: ''the conquest of the summit''.^(MWU 2024)^(OED 2026)

+ # The winning of someone's love or [[affection]], or a person whose love has been won: ''She was his latest conquest.''^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # ''the Conquest'': the [[Norman Conquest]] of England in 1066.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # (Canada) ''the Conquest'': the British conquest of French North America, completed in 1763.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[postconquest]]

+ * [[preconquest]]

+ * [[Norman Conquest]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[conquer]]

+ * [[conqueror]]

+ * [[quest]]

+ * [[acquire]]

+ * [[conquistador]]

+ * [[question]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Dictionary.com discusses ''conquest'' in its synonym study at [[victory]].^(Dictionary.com 2016)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}