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Origin and history of antique

antique(adj.)

1530s, "aged, venerable;" 1540s, "having existed in ancient times," from French antique "old" (14c.), from Latin antiquus (later anticus) "ancient, former, of olden times; old, long in existence, aged; venerable; old-fashioned," from PIE *anti- "before" (from root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before") + *okw- "to see."

Originally pronounced in English like its doublet antic, but French pronunciation and spelling were adopted in English from c. 1700. The meaning "not modern" is from 1640s. Related: Antiqueness.

antique(n.)

1520s, "a relic of antiquity," from antique (adj.). From 1771 as "an old and collectible thing."

antique(v.)

"to give an antique appearance to," 1753 (implied in antiqued, in bookbinding, "finished in an antique style"), from antique (adj.). Related: Antiquing.

also from 1753

Entries linking to antique

antic(n.)

1520s, antick, antyke, later antique (with accent on the first syllable), "grotesque or comical gesture," from Italian antico "antique," from Latin antiquus "old, ancient; old-fashioned" (see antique (adj.)). In art, "fantastical figures, incongruously combined" (1540s).

Originally (like grotesque) a 16c. Italian word referring to the strange and fantastic representations on ancient murals unearthed around Rome (especially the Baths of Titus, rediscovered 16c.); later extended to "any bizarre thing or behavior," in which sense it first arrived in English. As an adjective in English from 1580s, "grotesque, bizarre." In 17c. the spelling antique was restricted to the original sense of that word.

Anticke worke, A worke in painting or carving of divers shapes of Beasts, Birds, Flowers, &c. unperfectly mixt, and made one of another. [Cockeram, English Dictionarie, 1623]
advertique(n.)

a collector's word for old advertisements, by 1974, from advertisement + antique.

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antiquarian
"one who studies or is fond of antiquities, one versed in knowledge of ancient things," c. 1600, with -an + Latin antiquarius "pertaining to antiquity," from antiquus "ancient, aged, venerable" (see antique (adj.)). In later use more specifically "collector of antiquities; dealer
antiquated
1620s, past-participle adjective from verb antiquate "make old or obsolete" (1590s), from Latin antiquatus, past participle of antiquare "restore to its ancient condition," in Late Latin "make old," from antiquus "ancient, of olden times; aged, venerable; old-fashioned" (see anti
antiquation
1640s, "action of making or becoming antiquated;" 1650s, "state of being antiquated," from Late Latin antiquationem (nominative antiquatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of antiquare "restore to its ancient condition," in Late Latin "make old," from antiquus "ancient,
patina
It was considered to add greatly to the beauty of antique bronzes, hence the sense of "refinement, cultural sophistication...
Laocoon
A famous piece of antique sculpture representing a priest of that time and his two sons in the folds of two enormous serpents...
seen
["The Spinster's Journal," vol. 1, by 'A Modern Antique,' London: 1816] ...
distress
["It's a Wise Man Who Knows a Real Antique," Popular Science Monthly, June 1926]...
browse
mid-15c., brousen, "feed on buds, eat leaves or twigs from" trees or bushes, from Old French broster "to sprout, bud," from brost "young shoot, twig, green food fit for cattle or deer," probably from Proto-Germanic *brust- "bud, shoot," from PIE *bhreus- "to swell, sprout" (see b
change
c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
modify
late 14c., modifien, "alter, amend, adjust, change the properties, form, or function of;" also "set limits, keep within the bounds of reason; choose a middle course," from Old French modifier (14c.), from Latin modificare "to limit, measure off, restrain," from modus "measure, ma

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