experiment English · revision 5605

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1348|origins=la experīrī}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: noun /ɪkˈsper.ɪ.mənt/, /ekˈsper.ɪ.mənt/, verb /ɪkˈsper.ɪ.ment/, /ekˈsper.ɪ.ment/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English experiment, [[bor|fro|esperment|alt=experiment]] and directly from [[la|experīmentum|t=a trial, test, proof]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[m|la|experīrī|t=to try, test]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) from ex- “out of” and perītus “experienced, tested”,^(Etymonline) from [[ine-pro|*per-|t=to try, risk]].^(Etymonline) It is related to [[experience]] and [[expert]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A proof or piece of evidence: 1348 in Barnhart, the mid-14th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) A test or trial is from before 1350,^(Barnhart 1988) and in science from 1362 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English it could also be a feat of magic or sorcery, following Old French esperment “enchantment”.^(Etymonline) Practical acquaintance or experience is from 1560 and obsolete.^(OED 1989) A tentative course of action is from 1594.^(OED 1989) The process of conducting experiments is from 1678.^(OED 1989) The verb, to find out by trial, is from 1484, in Caxton's Aesop,^(Barnhart 1988) and the intransitive sense, to make experiments, from 1787.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Experimental'' is from about 1449 and ''experimentation'' from 1675.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1348 – a proof.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1362 – a scientific test.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1484 – the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1594 – a tentative course of action.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1787 – to make experiments.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A scientific [[test]] carried out to find something out or to test an idea.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A new idea or method that is being tried to see what happens.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The process of trying out new things; experimentation.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To carry out experiments.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To try new ideas or methods.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[experimenter]]

+ * [[experimentation]]

+ * [[preexperiment]]

+ * [[experimental]]

+ * [[unexperimented]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[experience]]

+ * [[expert]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}