Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A New-sounding Word is Really Old!

Doing a little editing today and I looked up "brand-new" to verify its spelling in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Turns out that word is dated to 1570! To me it sounds like 20th century "marketese." Who knew? (Besides the dictionary contributors, that is) I love etymology!

Main Entry: brand–new
Pronunciation: \-ˈnü, -ˈnyü\
Function: adjective
Etymology: 1brand
Date: circa 1570
: conspicuously new and unused; also : recently introduced

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