enthusiasm English · revision 45

+ ==Etymology==

+ First recorded in 1603,^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary) although the OED's earliest quotation is from 1579.^(OED 1989) It is [[bor|la-lat|enthūsiasmus]] (also via [[frm|enthousiasme]]),^(AHD)^(Wiktionary) [[der|grc|ἐνθουσιασμός|tr=enthousiasmós|t=divine inspiration]],^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) [[der|grc|ἐνθουσιάζω|tr=enthousiázō|t=to be inspired or possessed by a god]],^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from ''éntheos'' “possessed by a god”, from ''en'' “in” + ''theós'' “god”.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

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+ Under the Puritans the word acquired the derogatory sense “excessive religious emotion” (1650s);^(Etymonline) the modern sense “fervour, zeal” is recorded by 1716.^(Etymonline)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}