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Apr 3, 2013 · French voleur “thief” is a metaphor borrowed from falconry. In other cases, the origin of the word for “thief” is as obscure as it is in Germanic. For example, the Romans connected latro “thief” with Greek látron “payment, compensation” (other words aligned to it meant “service; servant, slave”) and Latin latus “side ...
- Monthly Etymological Gleanings for April 2013
By Anatoly Liberman Thief again. One comment on thief...
- Monthly Etymological Gleanings for April 2013
Mar 22, 2024 · thief (n.) thief. (n.) Old English þeof "one who takes property from another by stealth; a robber," from Proto-Germanic *theuba- (source also of Old Frisian thiaf, Old Saxon thiof, Middle Dutch and Dutch dief, Old High German diob, German dieb, Old Norse þiofr, Gothic þiufs), a word of uncertain origin. In Middle English also of poachers ...
The earliest known use of the verb thief is in the 1830s. OED's earliest evidence for thief is from 1836, in the writing of William Simms, poet, novelist, and historian. It is also recorded as a noun from the Old English period (pre-1150). thief is formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: thief n.
Quick Reference. The Good Thief a traditional name for the penitent thief, St Dismas. set a thief to catch a thief proverbial saying, mid 17th century; in an epigram the Greek poet and scholar Callimachus ( c. 305– c. 240 bc) has, ‘Being a thief myself I recognized the tracks of a thief.’. The saying is used to imply that the person best ...
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The roots of the English language are buried deep in Germanic and Romance tongues. However, there’s a vigorous debate among experts on which is dominant, although the majority opinion comes down on the side of Germanic sources. This is borne out by no less an authority than The Oxford English Dictionary,which notes that “Of the hundred most frequen...
The Germanic origin applies to grammar, syntax, and structure. When it comes to individual words, the English have proved to be accomplished thieves. “The tycoon made a huge palaver because his broguesdidn’t fit.” Most English speakers can figure out where the alien words are in this sentence. The italics are an obvious hint. “Tycoon” is borrowed f...
Through the British East India Company, the British took control of India’s commerce and, essentially, its administration in the 18th century. The sub-continent became a British colony in 1858. The primary reason for the British conquest was to gain access to the country’s resources. This naked commercialism was masked by the claim that the empire ...
Just as they did in India and elsewhere, Europeans conquered large swaths of Africa and left with resources and words. Some of the African words incorporated into English have to do with food. An integral ingredient in gumbo is okra, and the name of the dish comes from the word for okra used in Angola ki ngombo. Yams are not sweet potatoes as they ...
“I’m going on a kayak trip to my brother’s igloo, so I’ll need a warm parka/anorak.” (Inuit).“It’s hard to waltz with a rucksack.” (German).“I need a bamboo caddy without which I might run amok in my gingham sarong.” (Malay).“This avocado with chili sauce and tomato is disgusting. Feed it to the coyotes.” (Aztec).Since 1635, the Académie Française has been the guardian of the French language seeking to stop the intrusion of other tongues. So, it was something of a surprise while eating in a restaurant in Pa...The Nigerian academic Dr. Farooq Kperogi says that only about 30 percent of the words commonly used by English speakers can be traced to the language’s Anglo-Saxon roots. The rest are “borrowed” fr...Of the most common so-called Anglo-Saxon profanities used in English, none are of Anglo-Saxon origin.“We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.” James D. Nicoll.Dora Weithersfrom The Caribbean on February 17, 2019: Interesting and informative. I enjoyed the vocabulary lesson on word origins, perhaps theft. Thank you. Liz Westwoodfrom UK on February 15, 2019: Thanks for that interesting information. It sounds like the ever closer union, which our soon to be ex-European partners are keen to promote in the EU...
Meaning & use. 1. One who takes portable property from another without the knowledge or consent of the latter, converting it to his or her own use; one who steals. 1.a. Old English–. spec. One who does this by stealth; esp. from the person; one who commits theft or larceny. OE. gif ðeof sie gefongen.
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «thief» and belong to the same grammatical category. synonyms of thief. bandit · burglar · cracksman · crook · embezzler · footpad · housebreaker · larcenist · mugger · pickpocket · pilferer · plunderer · purloiner · robber · shoplifter · stealer · swindler.
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