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Origin and history of prentice

prentice(n.)

c. 1300, shortened form of apprentice (n.). Related: Prenticeship; prenticehood. As a verb from 1590s.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to prentice

apprentice(n.)

"one bound by legal agreement to an employer to learn a craft or trade," c. 1300, from Old French aprentiz "someone learning" (13c., Modern French apprenti, taking the older form as a plural), also as an adjective, "unskilled, inexperienced," from aprendre "to learn; to teach" (Modern French apprendre), contracted from Latin apprehendere "take hold of, grasp" mentally or physically, in Medieval Latin "to learn" (see apprehend). The shortened form prentice, prentis long was more usual in English.

aphetic(adj.)

1880, in philology, "produced by or resulting from loss of an initial short, unaccented vowel;" with -ic + aphesis (1880), a word "suggested by the Editor" [Sir James A.H. Murray] for "gradual and unintentional loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word" [OED, 1989].

It is from Greek aphienai "to let go, to send forth," from assimilated form of apo "from" (see apo-) + hienai "to send, throw" (from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel"). Compare apheresis.

As squire (n.) from esquire, venture from adventure, the Middle English part of taint (v.) from attaint, spite (n.) from despite, tire (n.) from attire, tail (n.2) from entail, tend (v.2) from attend. More such aphetic variants did not survive (stablish from establish, prentice (n.) from apprentice), tice (v.), ticement, common in Middle English for entice, enticement. They could overlap: tention c. 1600 could be short for intention or contention (and in modern times for attention!).

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    novice
    mid-14c., "probationer in a religious order," from Old French novice "beginner" (12c.), from Medieval Latin novicius, noun use of Latin novicius "newly imported, newly arrived, inexperienced" (of slaves), from novus "new" (see new). Meaning "inexperienced person, one new to his c
    initiate
    "one who has been initiated" (in secret doctrines, etc.), 1732, from obsolete or archaic past-participle adjective initiate "initiated, instructed in secret knowledge" (c. 1600), from Latin initiatus (see initiate (v.))....c. 1600, "introduce to some practice or system," also "be
    Tory
    1566, "an outlaw," specifically "one of a class of Irish robbers noted for outrages and savage cruelty," from Irish toruighe "plunderer," originally "pursuer, searcher," from Old Irish toirighim "I pursue," from toir "pursuit," from Celtic *to-wo-ret- "a running up to," from PIE
    troy
    late 14c., standard system of weights for gems and precious metals, from Troyes, city in France (Roman (Civitas) Tricassium, capital of the Tricasses, a Celtic people whose name was said to mean "those with three tresses"), former site of an important fair at which this weight is
    adequate
    1610s, "equal to what is needed or desired, sufficient," from Latin adaequatus "equalized," past participle of adaequare "to make equal to, to level with," from ad "to" (see ad-) + aequare "make level," from aequus "equal, even" (see equal (adj.)). The sense is of being "equal to
    pivot
    "pin on which a wheel or other object turns," 1610s, from French pivot, from Old French pivot "hinge pin, pivot" (12c.), also "penis," a word of uncertain origin. Pevetsheres, evidently some kind of shears, is mentioned in a will registered in York in 1398. Figurative sense of "t
    comedy
    late 14c., "narrative with a happy ending; any composition intended for amusement," from Old French comedie (14c.), "a poem" (not in the theatrical sense) and directly from Latin comoedia, from Greek kōmōidia "a comedy, amusing spectacle," probably [Beekes] from kōmōidos "actor o
    concept
    "a general notion, the immediate object of a thought," 1550s, from Medieval Latin conceptum "draft, abstract," in classical Latin "(a thing) conceived," from concep-, past-participle stem of concipere "to take in and hold; become pregnant," from con-, here perhaps an intensive pr
    fresh
    c. 1200, fresh, also fersh, "unsalted; pure; sweet; eager;" the modern form is a metathesis of Old English fersc, of water, "not salt, unsalted," itself transposed from Proto-Germanic *friskaz (source also of Old Frisian fersk, Middle Dutch versch, Dutch vers, Old High German fri
    conundrum
    1590s, an abusive term for a person, perhaps meaning "a pedant;" c. 1600, "a whim;" 1640s, "pun or word-play," a word of unknown origin, said in 17c. to be Oxford University slang. Perhaps the sort of ponderous mock-Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles;

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