COMPRESSION OF INFORMATION

An etymology beginning with the name of a language (including Middle English or Old English) and not giving the foreign (or Middle English or Old English) form indicates that this form is the same as that of the entry word:

Main Entry: ka.pok
Function: noun
Etymology: Malay

Main Entry: ¹po.grom
Function: noun
Etymology: Yiddish, from Russian . . .

Main Entry: ¹dumb
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English . . .

An etymology beginning with the name of a language (including Middle English or Old English) and not giving the foreign (or Middle English or Old English) meaning indicates that this meaning is the same as that expressed in the first definition in the entry:

Main Entry: ¹wea.ry
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English wery, from Old English werig . . .
1: exhausted in strength . . .

When a word from a foreign language (or Middle English or Old English) is a key element in the etymologies of several related entries that are found close together, the meaning of the word is usually given at only one of the entries:

Main Entry: ve.lo.ce
Function: adverb or adjective
Etymology: Italian, from Latin veloc-, velox

Main Entry: ve.loc.i.pede
Function: noun
Etymology: French vélocipède, from Latin veloc-, velox + ped-, pes foot -- more at FOOT

Main Entry: ve.loc.i.ty
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French velocité, from Latin velocitat-, velocitas, from veloc-, velox quick; probably akin to Latin vegere to enliven -- more at WAKE

When an etymology includes the expression "by alteration" and the altered form is not cited, the form is the term given in small capital letters as the definition:

Main Entry: crit.ter
Function: noun
Etymology: by alteration
: creature

When the origin of a word is traced to the name of a person or place not further identified, additional information may be found at the own-place entry for that person or place:

Main Entry: far.ad
Function: noun
Etymology: Michael Faraday

Main Entry: jodh.pur
Function: noun
Etymology: Jodhpur, India

 

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