Category: vocabulary

early 15c., “to notify, give notice of” (a sense obsolete since 17c.), from notice (n.). The sense of “to point out, refer to, remark upon” is from 1620s. The meaning “to take notice of, perceive, become aware of” is attested by 1757, but it was long execrated by purists in England as an Americanism (also occasionally as a Scottishism, the two offenses not being clearly distinguished). Ben Franklin noted it as one of the words (along with verbal uses of progress and advocate) that seemed to him to have become popular in America while he was absent in France during the Revolution. Related: Noticed; noticing.

early 15c., “information, knowledge, intelligence,” from Old French notece (14c.), and directly from Latin notitia “a being known, celebrity, fame, knowledge,” from notus “known,” past participle of (g)noscere “come to know, to get to know, get acquainted (with),” from PIE *gno-sko-, a suffixed form of PIE root *gno- “to know.”

Sense of “formal statement conveying information or warning” is attested from 1590s. Meaning “heed, regard, cognizance” (as in take notice) is from 1590s. Meaning “a sign giving information” is from 1805. Meaning “written remarks or comments” especially on a new book or play is by 1835.

1620s, past-participle adjective from verb antiquate “make old or obsolete” (1590s), from Latin antiquatus, past participle of antiquare “restore to its ancient condition,” in Late Latin “make old,” from antiquus “ancient, of olden times; aged, venerable; old-fashioned” (see antique (adj.)). An older adjective in the same sense was antiquate (early 15c.), from Latin. Related: Antiquatedness.

early 14c., “obligatory contribution levied by a sovereign or government,” from Anglo-French tax, Old French taxe, and directly from Medieval Latin taxa, from Latin taxare (see tax (v.)). Related: Taxes. Tax-deduction is from 1942; tax-shelter is attested from 1961.

c. 1300, “impose a tax on,” from Old French taxer “impose a tax” (13c.) and directly from Latin taxare “evaluate, estimate, assess, handle,” also “censure, charge,” probably a frequentative form of tangere “to touch,” from PIE root *tag- “to touch, handle.” Sense of “to burden, put a strain on” first recorded early 14c.; that of “censure, reprove” is from 1560s. Its use in Luke ii for Greek apographein “to enter on a list, enroll” is due to Tyndale. Related: Taxed; taxing.

c. 1200, “a load, a weight,” from Old French charge “load, burden; imposition,” from chargier “to load, to burden,” from Late Latin carricare “to load a wagon or cart,” from Latin carrus “two-wheeled wagon” (see car). A doublet of cargo.

Meaning “responsibility, burden” is from mid-14c. (as in take charge, late 14c.; in charge, 1510s), which progressed to “pecuniary burden, cost, burden of expense” (mid-15c.), and then to “price demanded for service or goods” (1510s). Meaning “anything committed to another’s custody, care, or management” is from 1520s.

Legal sense of “accusation” is late 15c.; earlier “injunction, order” (late 14c.). Meaning “address delivered by a judge to a jury at the close of a trial” is from 1680s. Electrical sense is from 1767. Slang meaning “thrill, kick” (American English) is from 1951. Meaning “quantity of powder required for one discharge of a firearm” is from 1650s. Military meaning “impetuous attack upon an enemy” is from 1560s; as an order or signal to make such an attack, 1640s.

early 13c., “to load, put a burden on or in; fill with something to be retained,” from Old French chargier “to load, burden, weigh down,” from Late Latin carricare “to load a wagon or cart,” from Latin carrus “two-wheeled wagon” (see car).

Senses of “entrust,” “command,” and “accuse” all emerged in Middle English and were found in Old French. Sense of “rush in to attack, bear down upon” is from 1560s, perhaps through earlier meaning “load a weapon” (1540s). Meaning “impose a burden of expense” is from mid-14c. That of “to fix or ask as a price” is from 1787; meaning “hold liable for payment, enter a debt against” is by 1889. Meaning “fill with electricity” is from 1748. Related: Charged; charging.

c. 1400, “instruction, education,” from Latin eruditionem (nominative eruditio) “an instructing, instruction, learning,” noun of action from past participle stem of erudire “to educate, instruct, polish” (see erudite). Meaning “learning, scholarship” is from 1520s.

mid-15c., “place of residence of a person or family,” from Old French domicile (14c.) and directly from Latin domicilium, perhaps from domus “house” (from PIE root *dem- “house, household”) + colere “to dwell” (see colony). In law, specifically, “that residence from which there is no intention to remove, or a general intention to return” (mid-18c.).

As a verb, “to establish in a fixed residence,” it is attested by 1762 (implied in domiciled). Related: Domiciliary.

“balance due, that which is behind in payment,” early 15c., plural noun from Middle English arrere (adv.) “in or to the rear; in the past; at a disadvantage” (c. 1300), from Anglo-French arrere, Old French ariere “behind, backward” (12c., Modern French arrière), from Vulgar Latin *ad retro, from Latin ad “to” (see ad-) + retro “behind” (see retro-).

It generally implies that part of the money already has been paid. Arrearage (early 14c.) was the earlier noun. Phrase in arrears first recorded 1610s, but in arrearages is from late 14c.