pepper English · revision 7379

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1000|origins=sa पिप्पली}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɛp.ə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈpɛp.ɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English peper, from Old English [[m|ang|pipor]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) an early West Germanic borrowing (compare Dutch [[m|nl|peper]], German [[m|de|Pfeffer]]) of Latin [[m|la|piper|t=pepper]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from Greek [[m|grc|πέπερι|tr=péperi]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) probably via Persian from Middle Indic pippari, from Sanskrit [[m|sa|पिप्पली|tr=pippalī́|t=long pepper; berry]].^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The pungent spice, especially black pepper: about 1000.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Word Origins notes that the Anglo-Saxons adopted the word before they came to England, as it is found in other West Germanic languages.^(Cresswell 2021) The plant Piper nigrum is from 1398.^(OED 1989) The name was applied in the 16th century to the fruits of the Capsicum family, which are unrelated and native to tropical America.^(Etymonline) In Middle English, ''to have pepper in the nose'' meant to be supercilious.^(Etymonline) The verb, to sprinkle as with pepper, is from the 1610s, and to pelt with shot from the 1640s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – the spice.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1398 – the pepper plant.^(OED 1989)

+ * 16th century – capsicums.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1610s – to sprinkle (verb).^(Etymonline)

+ * 1640s – to pelt with shot.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A pungent, hot-tasting powder made from dried and ground peppercorns, used as a [[spice]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The climbing plant Piper nigrum, whose berries are peppercorns.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A capsicum, especially a sweet pepper or chilli.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To season with pepper.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To sprinkle or scatter over; to pelt: ''peppered with bullets''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pepperer]]

+ * [[pepperish]]

+ * [[pepperishly]]

+ * [[pepperbox]]

+ * [[pepperbush]]

+ * [[peppergrass]]

+ * [[peppershaker]]

+ * [[peppershrike]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[peppercorn]]

+ * [[peppermint]]

+ * [[peppery]]

+ * [[pep]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}