booth English · revision 7828

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200|origins=gmq-oda bōþ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /buːð/, /buːθ/ ''(UK)''; /buθ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English bothe, probably [[bor|gmq-oda|bōþ|t=temporary dwelling, stall]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from East Norse *bōa, to dwell (Old Norse búa, búð),^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from Proto-Germanic *bōwan-, from PIE [[ine-pro|*bʰuH-|alt=*bheue-|t=to be, exist, grow]] (see [[bower]]).^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Compare German [[m|de|Bude|t=booth, stall]], Middle Dutch boode, Old Irish both, hut, and Polish buda, some borrowed from East Norse and some independent.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A temporary dwelling or stall: in place names from about 1145 (Bouthum);^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) as a common noun about 1200, in the ''Ormulum''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spelling booth appears about 1450 and was established in the 1500s.^(Barnhart 1988) A covered market stall or a tent at a fair for the sale of goods or entertainment is also from about 1200.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) A temporary structure covered with canvas is from 1535,^(OED 1989) a polling booth from 1846,^(OED 1989) and a telephone booth from 1930.^(OED 1989) In northern English dialect a booth was also a cow-house or dairy.^(Wright 1898) A restaurant seating area with high-backed benches is a later American sense.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1145 – in a place name.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1200 – a temporary dwelling; a stall.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1450 – spelling booth.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1846 – polling booth.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1930 – telephone booth.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A stall for showing or selling goods, especially a temporary one at a [[fair]] or market.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A small enclosed compartment for one person, as for telephoning or voting.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A seating area in a restaurant with a table between high-backed benches.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bothy]]

+ * [[polling booth]]

+ * [[telephone booth]]

+ * [[phone booth]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bower]]

+ * [[build]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}