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Origin and history of technical

technical(adj.)

1610s, of persons, "skilled in a particular art or subject," formed in English from technic + -al (1), or in part from Latinized form of Greek tekhnikos "of art; systematic," in reference to persons "skillful, artistic," from tekhnē "art, skill, craft" (see techno-). Related: Technicalness.

Of words, terms, etc. from 1650s. The narrower sense of "of or pertaining to the mechanical and professional arts; appropriate to a science, profession, or trade" is by 1727.

The basketball technical foul (one which does not involve contact between opponents) is recorded from 1934. The boxing technical knock-out (in which the defeated fighter remains conscious) is recorded from 1921; its abbreviation TKO is from 1940s. Technical difficulty is attested from 1805, in reference to legal procedure.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to technical

technic(adj.)

1610s, "technical, pertaining to an art," from Latin technicus, from Greek tekhnikos "of or pertaining to art, experienced in art, made by art," from tekhnē "art, skill, craft" (see techno-).

As a noun, "performance method of an art," by 1855, a nativization of technique. Specifically in music denoting all that applies to the purely mechanical part of performance (as distinguished from emotion, interpretation).

atechnical(adj.)

"free from technicalities," by 1889, from a- (3) "not, without" + technical.

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proficient
"well-versed in any business, art, science, etc.," 1580s, a back-formation from proficiency or else from Old French proficient (15c.), from Latin proficientem (nominative proficiens), present participle of proficere "to make progress, go forward, effect, accomplish, be useful," f
mechanical
early 15c., "of or pertaining to tools and their use," from mechanic (adj.) + -al (1). Cockeram's "English Dictionarie" (1623) still explains Mechanicall as "Of, or belonging to a Crafts-man." By 1570s as "of or pertaining to machines and their use." Of persons or human actions,
expert
late 14c., "having had experience; skillful," from Old French expert, espert "experienced, practiced, skilled" and directly from Latin expertus (contracted from *experitus), "tried, proved, known by experience," past participle of experiri "to try, test," from ex "out of" (see ex
stonewall
Stonewalled; stonewalling (defined in Century Dictionary as "parliamentary obstruction by talking against time, raising technical...
polytechnic
1805, "pertaining to or comprehending instruction in many (technical) subjects," from French École Polytechnique, name of...
avow
A synonym of avouch (q.v.), which tends to contain the more technical, legal aspect of the word....
euphoria
Non-technical use, now the main one, dates to 1882 and perhaps is a reintroduction....
pickup
also pick-up, "that which is picked up," 1848; see pick up (v.). As "act of picking up" from 1882. Meaning "capacity for acceleration" is from 1909; that of "recovery" is from 1916. In reference to a game between informal teams chosen on the spot, from 1905; as an adjective, "com
pick up
early 14c. as a verbal phrase, "lift and take with the fingers," from pick (v.) + up (adv.). From 1510s as "take or get casually, obtain or procure as opportunity offers." Meaning "take (a person found or overtaken) into a vehicle or vessel," is from 1690s, also, of persons, "mak
virtue
c. 1200, vertu, "moral life and conduct; a particular moral excellence," from Anglo-French and Old French vertu "force, strength, vigor; moral strength; qualities, abilities" (10c. in Old French), from Latin virtutem (nominative virtus) "moral strength, high character, goodness;

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