trash English · revision 5199

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1400}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /træʃ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is perhaps [[bor|non|tros|t=rubbish, fallen leaves and twigs]] or a related Scandinavian word; compare Norwegian dialect trask “lumber, trash” and Swedish trasa “rag”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) but it is ultimately of obscure or unknown origin.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Fallen leaves and twigs used as kindling, and things of little value: about 1400 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) Worthless stuff, rubbish: about 1518, in Skelton's Magnificence, in Barnhart, the OED and MWU.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Worthless writing or ideas is by the 1540s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Applied to worthless people it is first in Shakespeare's Othello (1604),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) and especially to poor whites in the American South by 1831.^(Etymonline) The refuse of sugar cane is from 1707.^(OED 1989) Household garbage is from 1906, in American English,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and ''trash can'' from 1914.^(Etymonline) The verb, to discard as worthless, is from 1859 in Barnhart and by 1909 in Etymonline;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) to vandalize is from 1970, and to criticize harshly from 1975.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Trash-talk'' is by 1989.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1400 – twigs; worthless things.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1518 – rubbish.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1604 – worthless people.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1906 – household garbage.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1970 – to vandalize.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1975 – to criticize harshly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(chiefly US)'' Waste material; [[rubbish]] or [[garbage]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Foolish talk or ideas; nonsense.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Writing, art or entertainment of poor quality.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(offensive)'' A person or people regarded as worthless.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Trimmings from plants, or the remains of [[sugar cane]] after crushing.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(informal)'' To throw something away.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(informal)'' To wreck or [[vandalize]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(informal)'' To criticize harshly.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[trasher]]

+ * [[trash-talking]]

+ * [[trashed]]

+ * [[trashman]]

+ * [[trashy]]

+ * [[poor white trash]]

+ * [[trash talk]]

+ * [[trash can]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}