punk English · revision 6900

+ English has two words spelled punk: one of unknown origin, first meaning a prostitute and later a worthless young man and a style of rock music, and an American one meaning rotten wood used as tinder.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)^(MWU 2024) The links between them are uncertain.^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpʌŋk/^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|hoodlum; punk rock}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=1596}}

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of unknown origin.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)^(MWU 2024) Its earliest sense was a prostitute.^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) The later “worthless person” sense probably comes from American underworld “punk kid”, a criminal's apprentice, and is from either the prostitute sense or the adjective punk, inferior, from punk rotten wood.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A prostitute: 1596 in the OED, the 1590s in Etymonline,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) about 1575 in MWU.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The prostitute sense is now archaic.^(SOED 2002) A young male used as a sexual partner, in tramp and prison slang, is from 1904.^(OED 1989)^(Dalzell 2013) A worthless fellow, a young hoodlum, is from 1917, originally American,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and a novice or young animal in show business from 1923.^(OED 1989) Word Origins notes that the word was applied to many kinds of people before punk rock.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Punk rock'', loud, fast and aggressive, was named by 1971, after the young-criminal sense,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and a punk, a fan of punk rock and its fashions, is from 1976.^(Dalzell 2013)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1596 – a prostitute.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1904 – a catamite (slang).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1917 – a young hoodlum.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1923 – a novice in show business.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1971 – punk rock.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1976 – a punk-rock fan.^(Dalzell 2013)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(slang)'' A worthless or rebellious young person; a petty [[criminal]] or hooligan.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # [[punk rock|alt=Punk rock]], or a follower of its music and fashions.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A [[prostitute]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Relating to punk rock: ''a punk band''.^(Collins 2023)

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+ {{homograph|2|touchwood}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1680s|origins=unm ponk}}

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of uncertain origin, perhaps [[bor|unm|ponk|t=living ashes; dust, powder]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) an Algonquian word;^(Etymonline) Gaelic spong, tinder, has also been suggested.^(Etymonline) MWU and SOED connect it with [[spunk]], touchwood.^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rotten wood used as tinder: the 1680s in Etymonline, 1687 in American English in Barnhart, 1705 in the OED.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Bartlett called it a common word in New England, the northern states and Canada.^(Etymonline) A slow-burning preparation used to light fireworks is from 1869, as is the figurative ''something worthless, nonsense'';^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) incense sticks are from 1870.^(Etymonline) The adjective, poor or inferior, is American, from 1896.^(Etymonline)^(Dalzell 2013)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1680s – rotten wood used as tinder.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1869 – a slow-burning fuse; nonsense.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1896 – inferior (adjective).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Dry, rotten wood used as [[tinder]]; touchwood.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A substance that smoulders when lit, used to light fireworks.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(US slang)'' Poor in quality; worthless.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spunk]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}