favor English · revision 4387

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1300|origins=la favere}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfeɪ.və/ ''(UK)''; /ˈfeɪ.vɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|favour]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|favor|t=a favour; approval, praise; partiality]] (13th century),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|favor|alt=favorem|t=good will, inclination, support]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) coined by Cicero from the stem of favēre “to show kindness to”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The root is [[ine-pro|*gʰow-|alt=*ghow-e-|t=to honour, revere]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) which also gave Old Norse gá “to heed” and Old Church Slavonic gověti “to revere”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Attractiveness, beauty, charm: probably before 1300 in Barnhart, in Kyng Alisaunder,^(Barnhart 1988) about 1300 in Etymonline; this sense is now archaic.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Good will, kind regard, is from the mid-14th century,^(Etymonline) and an act of kindness from about 1380, in Chaucer's Parlement of Foules.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Bias, partiality, is from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) and a thing given as a token of favour from the late 15th century.^(Etymonline) ''In favor of'' is from the 1560s.^(Etymonline) The verb, to approve, support or indulge, is from about 1350,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and “to resemble”, as a child favours a parent, from about 1600.^(Etymonline) ''Favorable'' is from before 1376, in Piers Plowman,^(Barnhart 1988) ''favorite'' from 1583, from Italian favorito,^(Barnhart 1988) and the American ''favorite son'' from 1825.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1300 – attractiveness.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1350 – verb, to support.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * mid-14th century – good will.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1380 – an act of kindness.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 14th century – partiality.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 15th century – a token.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1560s – ''in favor of''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1583 – ''favorite''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1600 – to resemble.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A kind or helpful act done freely: ''do me a favor''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Approval or support; [[goodwill]]: ''found favor with the critics''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Unfair [[partiality]]; favouritism.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A small gift given to guests, as at a party.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''in favor of'': in support of.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To prefer or support.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To do a kindness for; to oblige.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To make easier; to [[facilitate]]: ''the weather favored the attack''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To treat with care; to spare: ''favoring his injured leg''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(informal)'' To look like: ''she favors her mother''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[favorer]]

+ * [[favoringly]]

+ * [[favorite]]

+ * [[favorable]]

+ * [[favored]]

+ * [[favoritism]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[favour]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Favor is the American spelling; in British English the word is spelled favour.^(LDOCE 2009)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}