Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of true

true(adj.)

Middle English treu, from Old English triewe (West Saxon), treowe (Mercian) "faithful, trustworthy, honest, steady in adhering to promises, friends, etc."

This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *treuwaz "having or characterized by good faith" (source also of Old Frisian triuwi, Dutch getrouw, Old High German gatriuwu, German treu, Old Norse tryggr, Danish tryg, Gothic triggws "faithful, trusty"), according to Watkins this is in turn from a suffixed form of the PIE root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast." Compare trig, trow, trust (n.).

The sense of "consistent with fact, conformable to the actual state of things, not false or erroneous" is recorded from c. 1200. The meaning "real, genuine, rightly answering to the description, not counterfeit" is from late 14c.

As "conformable to law or justice" (as in true heir) from c. 1400. The meaning "exact, just, conformable to a certain standard or original" (as true north, true to the original) is by 1540s; in biology, "conforming to a type, norm, or standard of structure," from 1570s.

In reference to artifacts, "accurately fitted or shaped," from late 15c. Of aim, etc. "straight to the target, accurate," by 1801, probably from the sense, in reference to things, of "sure, unerring" (c. 1200). As an adverb, early 13c., from the adjective.

True-born (adj.) "of genuine birth, having right by birth to a title" is attested from 1590s; true-bred also is from 1590s. To come true (of dreams, etc.) is from 1819. For true blue see blue (adj.1). True-penny "honest fellow" is attested from 1580s.

true(v.)

"make true in position, form, or adjustment; make to fit nicely," 1841, "a workmen's term" [Century Dictionary], from true (adj.) in the sense of "agreeing with a certain standard." Related: Trued; truer; truing. It formerly meant "to verify" (1640s) but this is obsolete.

also from 1841

Entries linking to true

blue(adj.1)

"of the color of the clear sky," c. 1300, bleu, blwe, etc., "sky-colored," also "livid, lead-colored," from Old French blo, bleu "pale, pallid, wan, light-colored; blond; discolored; blue, blue-gray," from Frankish *blao or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *blæwaz (source also of Old English blaw, Old Saxon and Old High German blao, Danish blaa, Swedish blå, Old Frisian blau, Middle Dutch bla, Dutch blauw, German blau "blue").

This is from PIE *bhle-was "light-colored, blue, blond, yellow," from root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn," also "shining white" and forming words for bright colors. The same PIE root yielded Latin flavus "yellow," Old Spanish blavo "yellowish-gray," Greek phalos "white," Welsh blawr "gray," showing the slipperiness of definition in Indo-European color-words. Many Indo-European languages seem to have had a word to describe the color of the sea, encompassing blue and green and gray; such as Irish glass (from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine,"); Old English hæwen "blue, gray," related to har (see hoar); Serbo-Croatian sinji "gray-blue, sea-green;" Lithuanian šyvas, Russian sivyj "gray."

The exact color to which the Gmc. term applies varies in the older dialects; M.H.G. bla is also 'yellow,' whereas the Scandinavian words may refer esp. to a deep, swarthy black, e.g. O.N. blamaðr, N.Icel. blamaður 'Negro' [Buck]

The present spelling in English is since 16c., common from c. 1700. The sense "lead-colored, blackish-blue, darkened as if by bruising" is perhaps by way of the Old Norse cognate bla "livid, lead-colored." It is the meaning in black and blue, and blue in the face "livid with effort" (1864, earlier black and blue in the face, 1829).

The color of constancy since Chaucer at least, but apparently for no deeper reason than the rhyme in true blue (c. 1500). The figurative meaning "sad, sorrowful, afflicted with low spirits" is from c. 1400, perhaps from the "livid" sense and implying a bruised heart or feelings. Of women, "learned, pedantic," by 1788 (see bluestocking). In some phrases, such as blue murder, it appears to be merely intensive.

Few words enter more largely into the composition of slang, and colloquialisms bordering on slang, than does the word BLUE. Expressive alike of the utmost contempt, as of all that men hold dearest and love best, its manifold combinations, in ever varying shades of meaning, greet the philologist at every turn. [John S. Farmer, "Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present," 1890, p.252]

Blue pencil as an editor's characteristic tool to mark corrections in copy is from 1885; also as a verb from 1885. The fabulous story of Blue-beard, who kept his murdered wives in a locked room, is in English from 1798. For blue ribbon see cordon bleu under cordon. Blue whale is attested from 1851, so called for its color. Blue cheese is from 1862. Blue water "the open ocean" is from 1822. Blue streak, of something resembling a bolt of lightning (for quickness, intensity, etc.) is from 1830, Kentucky slang. Delaware has been the Blue Hen State at least since 1830, supposedly from a nickname of its regiments in the Revolutionary War.

trig(adj.)

late 12c., "trustworthy," from Old Norse tryggr "firm, trusty, true," from Proto-Germanic *treuwaz "having or characterized by good faith" (from suffixed form of PIE root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast").

From 1510s as "smart, trim in appearance, in good order," hence "tight, firm, sound, in good physical condition" (1704), but OED (1989) writes that the sense development between 1200 and 1500 is not entirely clear. A Scottish and northern word only until 19c. Related: Trigness. As a verb from 1590s, "make firm or fast."