affair English · revision 6160

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1300|origins=la facere}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English afere, [[bor|xno|afere]], [[bor|fro|afaire|t=business, event; rank]] (modern French affaire),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) from the phrase [[m|fro|à faire|t=to do]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from Latin [[m|la|ad|t=to]] and [[m|la|facere|t=to do, make]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from PIE [[ine-pro|*dʰeh₁-|t=to set, put]].^(Etymonline) The spelling with one f was remodelled as affaire in Middle French after Latin words in aff-, and Caxton popularized it in England.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ What one has to do, business: about 1300 in the OED and Etymonline,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) probably before 1300 in Barnhart, in the plural aferes, things to do.^(Barnhart 1988) The OED calls it originally a northern word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its history runs parallel to that of [[ado]], from Old Norse at “to” and [[do]], and to that of [[to-do]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) The ordinary business of life is from 1484, commercial or professional business from 1519, and public business, the affairs of a nation, from 1605.^(OED 1989) A thing that concerns someone, as in ''that's my affair'', is from 1611.^(OED 1989) Vaguely, any proceeding or event, in romance or war, is attested by 1702,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and of a material thing, as ''the house was a wooden affair'', from 1802.^(OED 1989) A love affair is from French [[affaire de cœur]], used in English from 1809;^(Etymonline) ''to have an affair with'' someone is by 1726, and earlier ''to have an affair of love'' (1716).^(Etymonline) An ''affair of honour'', a duel, is now archaic.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – business, what one has to do.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1484 – the business of life.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1605 – public affairs.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1702 – an event, a proceeding.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1726 – to have an affair.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1802 – a thing, a contrivance.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1809 – affaire de cœur.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A matter, thing to be done, or [[concern]]: ''that is my affair''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(affairs)'' Business or transactions, private or public: ''foreign affairs''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An event or occurrence, especially one that causes public interest or [[scandal]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A sexual relationship between two people, especially when one is married to someone else.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A social occasion or function.^(AHD)

+ # ''(informal)'' An object of a specified kind: ''the house was a ramshackle affair''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[love affair]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ado]]

+ * [[to-do]]

+ * [[affaire]]

+ * [[fact]]

+ * [[feat]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD groups affair with [[business]], [[concern]] and [[lookout]], all meaning something that involves one personally, as in ''it's not my affair''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}