Category: vocabulary

“act of giving or bestowing; that which is gratuitously given, a grant or gift,” mid-15c., donacioun, from Old French donacion (13c.) and directly from Latin donationem (nominative donatio) “a presenting, giving,” noun of action from past-participle stem of donare “give as a gift,” from donum “gift,” from PIE *donum “gift,” from root *do- “to give.”

mid-15c., monark, “supreme governor for life, a sole or autocratic ruler of a state,” from Old French monarche (14c., Modern French monarque) and directly from Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarkhēs “one who rules alone” (see monarchy). “In modern times generally a hereditary sovereign with more or less limited powers” [Century Dictionary, 1897].

As a type of large orange and black North American butterfly by 1885; on one theory it was so called in honor of King William III of England, who also was Prince of Orange, in reference to the butterfly’s color. An older name is milkweed-butterfly (1871). Other old names for it were danais and archippus.

1580s, “that which is added,” also “act of acceding” (by assent, to an agreement, etc.), from Latin accessionem (nominative accessio) “a going to, approach; a joining; increase, enlargement,” noun of action from past-participle stem of accedere “approach, enter upon” (see accede). From 1640s as “act of coming to a position or into possession,” especially in reference to a throne. Related: Accessional.

“act or ceremony of investing (a sovereign) with a crown,” c. 1400, coronacioun, from Late Latin coronationem (nominative coronatio) “a crowning,” noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin coronare “to furnish with a crown,” from corona “crown, wreath” (see crown (n.)).

“full of zeal” (in the service of a person or cause), 1520s, from Medieval Latin zelosus “full of zeal” (source of Italian zeloso, Spanish celoso), from zelus (see zeal). The sense “fervent, inspired” was earlier in English in jealous (late 14c.), which is the same word but come up through French. Related: Zealously, zealousness.

late 14c., “having a commanding quality,” from Old French imperial, emperial “imperial; princely, splendid; strong, powerful” (12c.), from Latin imperialis “of the empire or emperor,” from imperium “empire” (see empire).

Meaning “pertaining to an empire” (especially Rome’s) is from late 14c.; by 1774 of Britain’s. Meaning “of imposing size or excellence” is from 1731. Imperial presidency in a U.S. context traces to Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s book on the Nixon administration (1974). Related: Imperially. The noun is from 1520s as “member of the emperor’s party;” 1670s as the name of gold coins issued by various imperial authorities.

c. 1300, “to make reasoned statements to prove or refute a proposition,” from Old French arguer “maintain an opinion or view; harry, reproach, accuse, blame” (12c.), ultimately from Latin arguere “make clear, make known, prove, declare, demonstrate,” from PIE *argu-yo-, suffixed form of root *arg- “to shine; white.” The transmission to French might be via arguere in a Medieval Latin sense of “to argue,” or from Latin argutare “to prattle, prate,” frequentative of arguere.

De Vaan says arguere is probably “a denominative verb ‘to make bright, enlighten’ to an adj. *argu- ‘bright’ as continued in argutus and outside Italic.” He cites a closely similar formation in Hittite arkuuae- “to make a plea.” Meaning “to oppose, dispute, contend in argument” is from late 14c. Related: Argued; arguing.

c. 1400, “act of saluting, respectful gesture of greeting, salutation,” from salute (v.). The military sense is from 1690s; specifically of the hand-to-cap gesture from 1832.

late 14c., “to greet courteously and respectfully,” earlier salue (c. 1300), from Latin salutare “to greet, pay respects,” literally “wish health to,” from salus (genitive salutis) “greeting, good health,” related to salvus “safe” (from PIE root *sol- “whole, well-kept”). The military and nautical sense of “display flags, fire cannons, etc., as a mark of respect” is recorded from 1580s; specific sense of “raise the hand to the cap in the presence of a superior officer” is from 1844.

c. 1400, from Old French remedier or directly from Latin remediare, from remedium (see remedy (n.)). Related: Remedied; remedying.