peer English · revision 7380

+ English has two words spelled peer: an equal or a noble, from Latin par, and a verb meaning to look closely, of uncertain origin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pɪɹ/; /pɪə/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|equal; noble}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1215|origins=la par}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English pere, [[bor|xno|peir]], Old French [[m|fro|per|t=equal]] (modern French pair),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|par|t=equal]] (see [[par]], [[pair]]).^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An equal in standing before the law: 1215 in the OED;^(OED 1989) an equal in rank or character, about 1250 in Barnhart, about 1300 in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A nobleman, a member of the nobility, is from 1321–22 in the OED.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline traces the sense to Charlemagne's Twelve Peers in the old romances, who, like the knights of the Round Table, were so called because all were equal.^(Etymonline) One of the same age group or social set is a sociological sense from 1944,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) with ''peer review'' attested by 1970 and ''peer pressure'' by 1971.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1215 – an equal before the law.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1321 – a member of the nobility.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1944 – an age-mate.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1970 – peer review.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1971 – peer pressure.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person of the same age, status or ability as another; an [[equal]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(British)'' A member of the [[nobility]], such as a duke, earl or baron, especially one entitled to sit in the House of Lords.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peerage]]

+ * [[peeress]]

+ * [[peerless]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|to look closely}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=1580}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a variant of piren (late 14th century), probably related to East Frisian [[m|frs|piren|t=to look]], of uncertain origin,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and influenced in form and sense by Middle English peren, a shortened form of aperen (see [[appear]]).^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To look closely: 1591 in Barnhart, the 1590s in Etymonline;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) MWU dates it to 1580.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To peep out or come into view is a 16th-century sense.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * late 14th century – piren.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580 – to look closely.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To look closely or with difficulty, especially at something hard to see.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To come partly into view.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[par]]

+ * [[pair]]

+ * [[parity]]

+ * [[compare]]

+ * [[umpire]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}