nervous English · revision 5336

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1400|origins=la nervus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈnɜː.vəs/, US /ˈnɝː.vəs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|nervōsus|t=sinewy, vigorous]],^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(NODE 1998) from [[m|la|nervus|t=sinew, nerve]].^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) It is related to [[nerve]].^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Affecting the sinews, and containing nerves or sinews: the late 14th century in Etymonline, about 1400 and 1413 in the OED.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Sinewy and muscular are the original senses.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of writing, vigorous and forceful, is from the 1630s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Of or belonging to the nerves in the modern anatomical sense is from the 1660s.^(Etymonline) The opposite meaning, suffering from a disorder of the nervous system, is from 1734, which gave the “illogical” sense restless, easily agitated, timid, in 1740.^(Etymonline) The popularity of these senses led the medical profession to coin ''neurological'' to replace nervous in the sense “of the nerves”.^(Etymonline) ''Nervous wreck'' is first attested in 1862 and ''nervous breakdown'' in 1866.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1400 – of the sinews.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1637 – of writing, vigorous.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1660s – of the nerves.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1734 – having a nervous disorder.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1740 – easily agitated, timid.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1866 – ''nervous breakdown''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Worried or afraid; [[anxious]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Easily excited or upset; highly strung.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Relating to or affecting the [[nerve|alt=nerves]]: ''the nervous system''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Strong and vigorous.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nervously]]

+ * [[nervousness]]

+ * [[nonnervous]]

+ * [[overnervous]]

+ * [[seminervous]]

+ * [[unnervous]]

+ * [[autonomic nervous system]]

+ * [[central nervous system]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nervosity]]

+ * [[nerve]]

+ * [[nervy]]

+ * [[neural]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}