bat English · revision 6159

+ English has three main words spelled bat: the club, the flying mammal, and the verb meaning to blink.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /bæt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|club, stick}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=before 1200|origins=ang batt}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The club is Middle English batte, [[inh|ang|batt|t=cudgel]], a rare late Old English word,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) probably of Celtic origin:^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) compare Irish and Scottish Gaelic [[m|ga|bata|t=staff, cudgel]], and Gaulish andabata, a gladiator who fought blindfolded.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Barnhart 1988) Barnhart prefers a borrowing of Late Latin [[m|la-lat|battere]], Latin [[m|la|battuere|t=to beat]].^(Barnhart 1988) It was later reinforced by Old French [[m|fro|batte|t=pestle]], from battre “to beat”.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A stick, club or cudgel: 1205 in the OED,^(OED 1989) probably before 1200 in Layamon's ''Brut'' in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline notes that it was at first a western English word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A Middle English sense of a lump or chunk, of bread, clay or wool, survives in [[brickbat]] and [[batting]].^(Etymonline) The wooden implement used to strike the ball in cricket is attested from 1706,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and the sense passed to baseball and table tennis.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) The verb, to strike with a bat or cudgel, is from the 13th century in MWU, late Middle English in the SOED.^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002) ''Right off the bat'', at once, is from 1866, probably a baseball metaphor, though cricket may be the source.^(Etymonline) ''To go to bat for'' someone and ''to bat around'' an idea are American uses.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1205 – a club, cudgel.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-14th century – a lump, chunk.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1706 – a cricket bat.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1866 – right off the bat.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A shaped wooden club used to hit the ball in [[cricket]], [[baseball]] and similar games.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A stout stick; a [[cudgel]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(informal)'' A blow or rap.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To hit with a bat or as if with a bat.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To take a turn at batting in cricket or baseball.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' To discuss at length: ''bat ideas around''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[batter]]

+ * [[batsman]]

+ * [[batting]]

+ * [[brickbat]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|flying mammal}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1570s|origins=gem-pro *blak-}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The animal is [[inh|enm|bakke]], altered in dialect in the 16th century,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) a word of Scandinavian origin: compare [[gmq-osw|nattbakka|t=night bat]] and [[gmq-oda|nathbakkæ]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Etymonline relates these to [[non|leðrblaka|t=bat]], literally “leather flapper”, from [[gem-pro|*blak-]], from PIE [[ine-pro|*bʰlag-|t=to strike]].^(Etymonline) The change from -k- to -t- may have come through confusion with Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|blatta|t=moth, nocturnal insect]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Bakke is from before 1325 in Barnhart and the early 14th century in Etymonline;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) the form bat is from about 1575 in Barnhart and the 1570s in Etymonline,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and MWU's first known use is 1580.^(MWU 2024) The OED dates the animal from before 1300, counting the earlier forms.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Old English name for the animal was [[m|ang|hrēremūs]], from hrēran “to shake”, and the dialect rattle-mouse and flitter-mouse are from the 16th century.^(Etymonline) ''Blind as a bat'' is from the 16th century; before then the usual comparison was with a beetle.^(Cresswell 2021) The OED has bat-blind from 1609.^(OED 1989) ''Bats in the belfry'', crazy, is from about 1901,^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) and ''like a bat out of hell'', very fast, from 1921.^(OED 1989) As a contemptuous term for an old woman, ''old bat'', Etymonline suggests witchcraft, or the slang bat, a prostitute who works at night.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1325 – bakke.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1570s – the form bat.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1609 – bat-blind.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1901 – bats in the belfry.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1921 – like a bat out of hell.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A flying, chiefly [[nocturnal]] [[mammal]] of the order Chiroptera, with wings of skin stretched between long fingers.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal)'' An unpleasant or foolish old woman: ''an old bat''.^(Collins 2023)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[batty]]

+ * [[fruit bat]]

+ * [[vampire bat]]

+

+ {{homograph|3|to blink}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=1610s}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is a variant of [[bate#2]], to flutter or beat the wings, as a hawk does.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To flutter the wings, as a hawk: the 1610s in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) 1615 in Barnhart,^(Barnhart 1988) and the early 17th century in the SOED.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense of moving the eyelids, blinking or winking, is from 1838 in Barnhart and 1847 in Etymonline, in American English.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Not to bat an eyelid'' meant first not to sleep a wink, then to show no emotion.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1610s – to flutter the wings.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1838 – to wink, blink.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To blink or [[flutter]] the eyelids: ''she didn't bat an eye''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[battle]]

+ * [[batman]]

+ * [[bate]]

+ * [[flitter-mouse]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ There are also several minor words: bat, a packsaddle, from Old French bat (modern bât), which survives in [[batman]];^(SOED 2002)^(MWU 2024) bat, a spree or binge, slang of unknown origin (mid-19th century);^(SOED 2002) and ''sling the bat'', to speak the local language abroad, from Hindi bāt “speech”.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}