paint English · revision 4713

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1250|origins=la pingere}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /peɪnt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|peinten]], [[bor|fro|peintier|t=to paint]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from peint, the past participle of peindre,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from [[la|pingere|t=to paint, embroider, tattoo]],^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from a nasalized form of [[ine-pro|*peyḱ-|alt=*peig-|t=to cut, mark by incision; to colour]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) The root also gave Sanskrit piṁśati “adorns”, Greek poikílos “variegated”, Old Church Slavonic pisati “to write” and Old English fāh “coloured”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Etymonline suggests the sense moved from decorating with cut marks to decorating with colour.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[picture]], [[pigment]] and [[depict]].^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Implied in peintunge, a painting, probably before 1200, in the Ancrene Riwle;^(Barnhart 1988) to represent in paint, the mid-13th century in Etymonline and about 1250 in Barnhart.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The OED has the verb from about 1290.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To decorate with pictures is from about 1300, and to coat a surface with colour from the early 14th century.^(Etymonline) To portray in words is from the 15th century.^(Hoad 1986) The noun, the substance used in painting, is from 1290–1291 in compounds such as peinteselde “paint shop”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and cosmetics for the face from 1660, in Dryden.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Paint (someone) black'' is from the 1590s,^(Etymonline) and ''paint the town red'' is first found in the United States by 1883, which casts doubt on the story about the Marquis of Waterford at Melton Mowbray in 1837.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The ''paintbrush'' is from 1827.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The Century Dictionary noted that paint, unlike a dye, forms a coating on the surface.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1200 – ''peintunge'', a painting.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1250 – to represent in paint.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1290–91 – noun, in compounds.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 14th century – to coat with colour.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1590s – ''paint black''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1660 – cosmetics.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1827 – ''paintbrush''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1883 – ''paint the town red''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A coloured liquid that is spread on a surface and dries to form a coating.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(paints)'' A set of colours used by artists.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(dated)'' [[cosmetics|alt=Cosmetics]] such as rouge.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To cover a surface with paint.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To make a [[picture]] using paint.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To describe vividly in words.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To put make-up or a liquid medicine on.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[paintability]]

+ * [[paintable]]

+ * [[paintless]]

+ * [[bepaint]]

+ * [[depaint]]

+ * [[greasepaint]]

+ * [[impaint]]

+ * [[inpaint]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[picture]]

+ * [[pigment]]

+ * [[depict]]

+ * [[painter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}