Origin and history of temperance

"of, pertaining to, or involving total abstinence from intoxicating drink," 1834, a colloquial word, perhaps from total (adj.) with a reduplication of the initial T- for emphasis ("trouble with a capital T"). T-totally as an emphatic form of "totally," though not in an abstinence sense, is recorded in 1832 in a representation of U.S. Western big talk (Kentucky), and it may be older in representations of Irish English (teetotaciously, 1832). The phrase total abstinence is attested by 1831. Also compare teetotum.

The use in temperance jargon was noted by September 1833 in reports of a speech advocating total abstinence (from beer as well as wine and liquor) by Richard "Dicky" Turner, a working-man from Preston, England. The term is also said to have been introduced in 1827 in a New York temperance society which recorded a T after the signature of those who had pledged total abstinence, but contemporary evidence for this is wanting. Century Dictionary allows that "the word may have originated independently in the two countries," OED (1989) favors the British origin and notes that Webster (1847) calls teetotaler "a cant word formed in England."

As a verb, "practice or advocate total abstinence from intoxicating drink," by 1839. Related: Teetotalism (1834); teetotalish (1838).

"mix or work up into proper condition, adjust or restore to proper proportions;" Middle English temperen, from late Old English temprian "to moderate by mixture, bring to a proper or suitable state, modify (some excessive quality), restrain within due limits," from Latin temperare "observe proper measure, be moderate, restrain oneself," also transitive, "mix correctly, mix in due proportion; regulate, rule, govern, manage."

This often is described as from Latin tempus "time, season" (see temporal (adj.1)), with a notion of "proper time or season." But as the root sense of tempus seems to be "stretch," the words in the "restrain, modify" sense might be from a semantic shift from "stretching" to "measuring" (compare temple (n.1)).

The meaning "make (steel) hard and elastic" is from late 14c. The sense of "tune the pitch of a musical instrument" is recorded from c. 1300. Related: Tempered; tempering.