delay English · revision 5416

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1290|origins=fro delaier}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /dɪˈleɪ/, /dəˈleɪ/, US /dɪˈleɪ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|delaien|alt=deleien, delaien]], [[bor|fro|delaier|t=to put off]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[m|fro|de-|t=away, from]] and laier “to leave, let”, of unknown origin.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Laier is perhaps a variant of Old French laissier, from Latin laxāre “to slacken”, but Watkins derives it from Frankish *laibjan.^(Etymonline) The noun is Old French delai, from the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb, to put off or postpone: about 1290 in the OED, before 1300 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) The noun, a putting off: before 1250 in Barnhart, 1297 in the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To hinder or keep waiting for a time is from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) and the intransitive sense “to linger, move slowly” from about 1500.^(Etymonline) The fact of being kept waiting, a hindrance to progress, is from 1748 as a noun sense.^(OED 1989) In electronics a delay is the time between a signal and its effect, from 1930.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1290 – to postpone.^(OED 1989)

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

+ * c. 1500 – to linger.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1930 – in electronics.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To put off until later; to [[postpone]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To make someone or something late or slow.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To wait or be slow to act.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of delaying, or a time of waiting.^(Collins 2023)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The time between one event and another.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[delayer]]

+ * [[delayable]]

+ * [[delayingly]]

+ * [[predelay]]

+ * [[undelaying]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[delayed]]

+ * [[lax]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ An obsolete verb delay, from French délayer and related to [[allay]], meant to dilute or weaken, as in “wine delayed with water” in Philemon Holland.^(Trench 1859)^(SOED 2002) Trench noted that some editors wrongly changed it to allay, taking it for a misprint.^(Trench 1859)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}