frame English · revision 4398

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 961|origins=ang framian}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /freɪm/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|framen]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[inh|ang|framian|t=to profit, be helpful, avail]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from fram “active, bold”, originally “going forward”, from fram “forward”, which also became the preposition [[from]] in English.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) It was influenced by the related Old English fremman “to help forward, promote; to do, make”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and by Old Norse fremja “to further, execute” and frama.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Compare German frommen “to avail, benefit”.^(Etymonline) The noun is from the verb and in part from Old Norse frami “advancement”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “To profit, be of service”: about 961 in the OED and Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) “To make progress, prosper” is from before 1050.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English the sense narrowed from “to make ready”, from the mid-13th century, to “to prepare timber for building”, from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)^(OED 1989) and so to shaping or constructing in general.^(Hoad 1986) “To compose, devise” is probably from before 1400 in Barnhart,^(Barnhart 1988) the 1540s in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) “To fabricate a story with evil intent” is from 1514,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) “to plot in secret” from 1900, and the criminal slang sense “to incriminate an innocent person” from the 1920s,^(Etymonline) with the noun ''frame'', a frame-up, from 1914.^(OED 1989) The noun meant profit or benefit about 1200 and a composition or plan about 1250;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) the supporting parts of a structure fitted together are from about 1400,^(Etymonline) the human body from the 1590s,^(Etymonline) and an enclosing border from about 1600, of a picture or pane from the 1660s.^(Etymonline) ''Frame of mind'' is from 1711, in Steele's Spectator,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''framework'' from 1644, in Milton's Areopagitica,^(Barnhart 1988) and a ''frame house'', of wood, from 1777 in American English.^(Barnhart 1988) A bicycle frame is from 1871, a car's from 1900,^(Etymonline) a single picture of a film from 1916,^(Etymonline) and ''frame of reference'' from 1897.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 961 – to profit.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1200 – noun, profit.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1250 – to make ready; noun, a plan.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 14th century – to prepare timber.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1400 – a structure.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1514 – to fabricate a story.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1590s – the human body.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1644 – ''framework''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1660s – a picture frame.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1711 – ''frame of mind''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1916 – a film frame.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1920s – to incriminate falsely.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A structure that gives shape or support, as of a building or a vehicle.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # An open border or case that holds or surrounds something, as a [[picture]] or window.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The build of the human body: ''a slight frame''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A general structure or [[system]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A state of mind: ''in a good frame of mind''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # One of the single pictures in a film strip.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # In bowling or snooker, a single round of play.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(slang)'' A frame-up.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To put into a frame.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To [[construct]] by putting the parts together.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To put into words; to [[formulate]]: ''frame a question''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To plan or design.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(informal)'' To make an innocent person appear guilty by false evidence.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[framer]]

+ * [[frameless]]

+ * [[enframe]]

+ * [[reframe]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[framework]]

+ * [[frame-up]]

+ * [[from]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}