luke English · revision 5361

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1205|origins=gem-pro *hlewaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /luːk/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|leuk|alt=luke, lewk|t=tepid]], a word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) It is perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *hlēoc, an unexplained variant of hlēowe “warm”, from [[gem-pro|*hlewaz|alt=*khlewaz]], or from Middle Dutch or Old Frisian leuk “tepid, weak”.^(Etymonline) MWU relates it to Old English hlēow “warm”, the source of [[lew]].^(MWU 2024) It is related to [[lee]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Lukewarm, tepid: about 1205 in the OED, about 1200 in Etymonline.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figuratively, half-hearted, it is from 1340.^(OED 1989) It is now obsolete except in [[lukewarm]] (late 14th century).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) Other formations, now obsolete, were ''luke-hot'' (late 14th century) and ''luke-hearted'' (about 1500).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Old English also had wlæc “lukewarm”, Middle English wlake, and Middle English had lew-warm beside luke-warm.^(Etymonline) A verb, to make lukewarm, is from before 1400.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1205 – tepid.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1340 – half-hearted.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – lukewarm.^(Etymonline)

+ * a. 1400 – verb, to make lukewarm.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(obsolete, dialect)'' [[lukewarm]]; tepid.^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[lukewarm]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lee]]

+ * [[lew]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Capitalized, Luke is a man's name, from Latin Lucas, Greek Loukas,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) and the third Gospel, ascribed to St Luke.^(AHD)^(MWU 2024) In Scottish and English dialect, ''Luke's little summer'' is a spell of fine weather around St Luke's day, 18 October.^(Wright 1898)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}