potter English · revision 7613

+ Potter, a maker of pots, and potter, to busy oneself idly, are separate words: the first is formed on pot, the second is a frequentative of an old verb pote, to poke.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɒtə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈpɑtɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

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+ {{homograph|1|pot maker}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 1100}}

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is late [[inh|ang|pottere]], formed from pott, [[pot]], and -ere, [[-er]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-French poter, Old French potier and Anglo-Latin pottarius.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A maker of earthenware vessels: before 1100;^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) as a surname from the late 12th century.^(Etymonline)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ An older Old English word for a potter was crocwyrhta, crock-wright.^(Etymonline) Potters also sometimes worked as bell-founders.^(Etymonline) A maker of metal pots is a rare obsolete sense of 1443,^(OED 1989) and in northern dialect a potter was a hawker of earthenware from about 1500.^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898) ''Potter's field'', a burial ground for paupers and strangers, refers to Matthew 27:7, in the Tyndale Bible (1526),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) where it was a field from which clay was dug, bought with the money paid to Judas.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1100 – pottere.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 12th century – as a surname.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1500 – a hawker of earthenware.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1526 – potter's field.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who makes [[pottery]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pottery]]

+ * [[potter's field]]

+ * [[potter's wheel]]

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+ {{homograph|2|dawdle}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1530}}

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably a frequentative of Middle English poten, to push, poke (about 1250),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from Old English potian, to thrust (see [[put]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) with the frequentative suffix -er.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To poke again and again: about 1530, now dialectal.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To meddle is from the 17th century,^(Hoad 1986) and in dialect to perplex or bother from the 18th.^(Hoad 1986) To occupy oneself in a trifling way, be busy doing little, is from 1740,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and to move about idly or aimlessly from the 19th century.^(Hoad 1986) It has a variant [[putter]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1530 – to poke repeatedly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 17th century – to meddle.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1740 – to be busy in a trifling way.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 19th century – to move aimlessly.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To busy oneself with small tasks in a relaxed way; to [[dawdle]] or putter.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pot]]

+ * [[putter]]

+ * [[put]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ A third potter, one who pots, as a tippler (1632) or a pot-hunter of game (1884), is formed on the verb pot.^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}