Etymology dictionary
sufficiently (adv.) — summons (n.)
sufficiently (adv.)
late 14c., sufficientli, "adequate for a purpose; satisfactorily, to a sufficient degree," from sufficient + -ly (2).
suffisance (n.)
late 14c., suffisaunce, "that which suffices; sufficient provision or supply," from Old French sofisance, soufisance, Anglo-French suffisaunce, from Late Latin sufficentia (see sufficiency). Obsolete from 17c., reborrowed with French pronunciation 1781 with a meaning "excess of self-confidence."
suffix (n.)
"terminal formative, word-forming element attached to the end of a word or stem to make a derivative or a new word;" 1778, from Modern Latin suffixum, noun use of neuter of Latin suffixus "fastened," past participle of suffigere "fasten, fix on, fasten below," from assimilated form of sub "under, up from under" (see sub-) + figere "to fasten, fix" (from PIE root *dheigw- "to stick, fix"). Related: Suffixal; suffixation.
suffix (v.)
in the grammatical sense, in reference to a letter or syllable, "attach at the end of," 1778, from suffix (n.). Earlier it was used in a non-grammatical sense of "put or place under" (c. 1600), from Latin suffixus, past participle of suffigere "fasten below." Related: Suffixed; suffixing; suffixion.
suffocation (n.)
late 14c., suffocacioun, "obstruction of breathing, choking," from Old French suffocation, suffocacion and directly from Latin suffocationem (nominative suffocatio) "a choking, stifling," noun of action from past-participle stem of suffocare "suffocate, throttle, stifle, strangle," originally "to narrow up," from sub "up (from under)" (see sub-) + fauces (plural) "throat, narrow entrance" (see faucet).
suffocate (v.)
early 15c., suffocaten (transitive), "deprive of air, choke, kill by preventing access of air to the lungs," also figurative, "stifle, smother, extinguish," from Latin suffocatus, past participle of suffocare "to choke" (see suffocation).
The intransitive meaning, "become choked, stifled, or smothered," is attested from 1702. Related: Suffocated; suffocating; suffocatingly; suffocative.
Suffolk
southernmost county of East Anglia, Old English Suþfolcci (895), literally "the South Folk." Compare Norfolk. Related: Suffolker.
suffrage (n.)
late 14c., "prayer," especially "intercessory prayers or pleas on behalf of another," from Old French sofrage "plea, intercession" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin suffragium, from Latin suffragium "support, ballot, vote cast in an assembly; right of voting; a voting tablet," from suffragari "express public support, vote for someone."
This is of uncertain origin. It is conjectured to be a compound of sub in some sense, perhaps "up from under" (see sub-) + fragor "crash, din, shouts (as of approval)" or its relative frangere "to break" (from PIE root *bhreg- "to break"). One theory (Watkins, etc.) is that the notion is "use a broken piece of tile as a ballot" (as in ostracism). But de Vaan writes:
He also cites another modern theory that derives the -fragium from a root meaning "hind part, tail-bone" and "hypothesizes for suffragium a semantic change from 'support under the hind part' to 'political support'," but this he finds "too fantastic to be credible."
The meaning "a vote for or against anything" is from 1530s; specifically "a vote or voice in deciding a question or in a contest for office" by 1590s. By 1660s as "act of voting in a representative government;" the meaning "political right to vote as a member of a body" is first found in the U.S. Constitution, 1787, in reference to the states. Also sometimes "the collective opinion of a body of persons" (1570s).
suffragan (n.)
late 14c., "bishop who assists another bishop," especially one with no right of ordinary jurisdiction, from Anglo-French and Old French suffragan (13c.), from Medieval Latin suffraganeus "an assistant," noun use of adjective, "assisting, supporting," applied especially to a bishop, from Latin suffragium "support" (see suffrage). Related: Suffragant; suffragate; suffraganean; suffragation.
suffragette (n.)
"female supporter of the cause of women's voting rights," "esp. one of a violent or 'militant' type" [OED], 1906, from suffrage, with French fem. ending -ette, but not in the sense in which it was in vogue at the time.
The word appeared in print in newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic in January, and was in public discourse continuously for two decades thereafter, though at first in the U.S. it was used only of the radical British women.
Compare suffragist.
suffragist (n.)
1819, in England, short for universal suffragist (1818) "one who advocates a broad right to vote; advocate of extension of the political franchise in Britain," without regard to gender; from suffrage + -ist.
It rose to prominence in Great Britain in 1840s, when the longer form was usually complete suffragist. The word was 20 times more common in English newspapers 1820-1865 than American ones in the same years. It had some U.S. currency c. 1842 in reference to Dorr's Rebellion over laws that allowed only property-owners to vote. In U.S. in 1865 negro suffragist emerged for advocates of voting rights for Blacks.
The word began to be associated with activists for voting rights for women by 1867, when woman suffragist, female suffragist are attested in U.S. newspapers. In England, complete suffragists began to be called manhood suffragists by 1866, and woman suffragist appears in English newspapers by 1871 in an American context and by 1874 in reference to activism in England.
suffusion (n.)
late 14c., suffusioun, in pathology, "a cataract; defluxation of a humor," from Latin suffusionem (nominative suffusio) "a pouring over," noun of action from past-participle stem of suffundere "overspread, pour beneath, pour upon," from sub "under" (see sub-) + fundere "to pour" (from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- "to pour").
It is attested by 1610s as "act or operation of suffusing;" by 1700 as "that which is suffused, a coloring or tint spread over a surface."
suffuse (v.)
"to overspread," as with a fluid or tincture; "fill or cover," as with something fluid; 1580s, from Latin suffusus, past participle of suffundere "overspread, pour beneath, pour upon," from sub "under" (see sub-) + fundere "to pour" (from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- "to pour"). Chauliac (early 15c.) in a now obsolete medical sense has suffunden. Related: Suffused; suffusing.
suffusive (adj.)
"tending to spread," 1775; see suffuse + -ive. Related: Suffusively.
Sufi (n.)
in early use also Sofi, Suffi, Sophee, etc., "member of a Muslim mystical order," 1650s (earlier Sufian, 1580s), from Arabic sufi, literally "man of wool" (i.e., "man wearing woolen garments," as opposed to silk), from suf "wool."
According to Klein, so-called from the habit of "putting on the holy garment" (labs-as-suf) to devote oneself to mysticism. Some forms show influence of Greek sophos "wise," which was formerly thought to be perhaps the origin of the word. Related: Sufic.
Sufism (n.)
"mystical teachings of the Sufis," 1817, Sufiism (modern form by 1836), from Sufi + -ism.
sug-
assimilated form of sub- before -g-.
sugar (v.)
early 15c., sugren, "sweeten with sugar," also figuratively, "make more pleasing, mitigate the harshness of," from sugar (n.). Related: Sugared (late 14c. as a past-participle adjective, figuratively, of words, speech); sugaring.
sugar (n.)
late 13c., sugre, "sweet crystalline substance from plant juices," from Old French sucre "sugar" (12c.), from Medieval Latin succarum, from Arabic sukkar, from Persian shakar, from Sanskrit sharkara "ground or candied sugar," originally "grit, gravel" (cognate with Greek kroke "pebble").
The Arabic word also was borrowed in Italian (zucchero), Spanish (azucar, with the Arabic article), and German (Old High German zucura, German Zucker), and its forms are represented in most European languages (such as Serbian cukar, Polish cukier, Russian sakhar).
Its Old World home was India (Alexander the Great's companions marveled at "honey without bees") and it remained exotic in Europe until the Arabs began to cultivate it in Sicily and Spain; not until after the Crusades did it begin to rival honey as the West's sweetener. The Spaniards in the West Indies began raising sugar cane by 1506.
The reason for the -g- in the English word is obscure (OED compares flagon, from French flacon). The pronunciation shift from s- to sh- is probably from the initial long vowel sound syu- (as in sure).
As a general name for a type of chemical compound, from 1826. Slang use as a "euphemistic substitute for an imprecation" [OED] is attested by 1891. As a term of endearment, it is attested by 1930.
Sugar-maple, the North American species that yields sugar, is from 1731. Sugar-tongs, for lifting small lumps, are attested from 1708.
sugar-cane (n.)
"saccharine grass," the original source of manufactured sugar, 1560s, from sugar (n.) + cane (n.).
sugar-candy (n.)
late 14c., sugre-candi, "sugar clarified and concreted, sugar crystallized by slow evaporation," from sugar (n.) + candy (n.).
sugar-coat (v.)
also sugarcoat, 1844 (implied in sugar-coated), "coat with sugar," originally of medicinal pills; from sugar (n.) + coat (v.). Figuratively, "make more palatable," by 1896. Related: Sugar-coating.
sugar-daddy (n.)
also sugar daddy, "elderly man who lavishes gifts on a young woman" [OED], 1926, from sugar (n.) + daddy (n.).
sugar-free (adj.)
1862, in reference to the urine of diabetics, from sugar (n.) + free (adj.); by 1899 in reference to foods or drinks recommended for diabetes and other health conditions. Sugarless is attested from 1785.
sugary (adj.)
1590s, "resembling sugar," literal and figurative, from sugar (n.) + -y (2). Often implying "excessively sweet; deceitful." Related: Sugariness. Sugared (adj.) is from late 14c. in the figurative sense; sugarish is from early 15c. as "attractive, pleasing, delightful."
sugar-loaf (n.)
early 15c., sugre-lof, "molded conical mass of refined sugar," from sugar (n.) + loaf (n.). Now obsolete in the original sense but the term was extended 17c. to hills, hats, etc. of conical shape.
sugar-plum (n.)
c. 1600, figurative, "something sweet or agreeable;" see sugar (n.) + plum (n.). As a type of small, round, flavored candy, boiled sugar flavored and shaped into a ball or flat disk, by 1660s.
suggestive (adj.)
1630s, "conveying a hint, implying something not expressed," also "full of suggestion, stimulating reflection," from suggest + -ive. It is attested by 1888 specifically as "apt to suggest something indecent" (implied in suggestiveness). Related: Suggestively.
suggestion (n.)
mid-14c., suggestioun, "action of prompting or urging," originally especially "a prompting to evil," from Anglo-French and Old French suggestioun "hint; temptation," from Latin suggestionem (nominative suggestio) "an addition, intimation, suggestion," noun of action from suggestus, past participle of suggerere "bring up, bring under, lay beneath; furnish, afford, supply; prompt," from sub "under; up from below" (see sub-) + gerere "bring, carry" (see gest).
The sense evolution in Latin is from "heap up, build" to "bring forward an idea." In English, "act of placing before the mind problematically" is by late 14c.; also "proposal, statement, declaration." It was extended by c. 1600 to the action of an idea in bringing another idea to mind by association or natural connection. The older English notion of "evil prompting" remains in the euphemistic use of suggestive.
The hypnotism sense, "insinuation of a belief or impulse into the mind of the subject," is from 1887.
suggest (v.)
1520s, "place before another's mind; put forward a proposition," from Latin suggestus, past participle of suggerere "bring up, bring under, lay beneath; furnish, afford, supply; prompt" (see suggestion).
The meaning "act so as to call up the idea of (something else); introduce to another's mind by indirect association" is from 1709. It also had a bad sense, "seduce, tempt away from" (1580s). Related: Suggested; suggesting.
suggestible (adj.)
1851, "capable of being influenced," from suggest + -ible. The meaning "capable of being suggested" is from 1836. Related: Suggestibly; suggestibility.
suggestion-box (n.)
"locked receptacle to receive private written proposals for change or improvement in an establishment or administration," from suggestion + box (n.1), suggested by 1883:
The thing itself was in use by that name by 1889, in libraries (to suggest new books), by 1898 in workplaces (often complaint and suggestion box).
suicide (n.)
1650s, "deliberate killing of oneself," from Modern Latin suicidium "suicide," from Latin sui "of oneself" (genitive of se "self"), from PIE *s(u)w-o- "one's own," from root *s(w)e- (see idiom) + -cidium "a killing," from caedere "to slay" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike").
Probably an English coinage; the word was much maligned by Latin purists because it "may as well seem to participate of sus, a sow, as of the pronoun sui" [Phillips, "New World of Words," 1671].
The meaning "person who kills himself deliberately" is attested from 1728. In Anglo-Latin, the term for "one who commits suicide" was felo-de-se, literally "one guilty concerning himself." It was used occasionally as a verb 19c.
In England, suicides were legally criminal if of age and sane, but not if judged to have been mentally deranged. The criminal ones were mutilated by stake and given degrading burial in highways until 1823.
Suicide blonde (one who has "dyed by her own hand") is attested by 1921; OED defined it as "especially" one with hair dyed "rather amateurishly." The baseball suicide squeeze play is attested from 1937.
suicidal (adj.)
"suggesting, leading to, or tending to suicide," 1777, from suicide + -al (1). Oldest sense is figurative, "destructive of one's aims or interests;" literal sense is by 1837. Walpole used suicidial in a letter (1755). Related: Suicidally.
sui generis
1787, Latin, literally "of one's own kind, peculiar." From sui, genitive of suus "his, her, its, one's," from Old Latin sovos, from PIE root *swe-, pronoun of the third person (see idiom). And genitive of genus "race, stock, kind; family, birth, descent, origin" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups).
sui juris
1610s, "of full legal age and capacity," hence capable of managing one's own affairs; in ancient Rome, "of the status of one not subject to the patria potestas," the father's legal control and dominion over his descendants. From sui, genitive of suus "his, her, its, one's," from Old Latin sovos, from PIE root *swe-, pronoun of the third person (see idiom); for second element, see jurist.
suit (v.)
mid-14c., suten, "be becoming;" 1570s, "be agreeable or convenient, fall in with the views of," from suit (n.), perhaps on the notion of "join a retinue clad in like clothes."
Earlier it meant "seek out" (mid-15c.), and formerly also had many of the senses of sue (v.).
The meaning "make agreeable or convenient" is from 1590s. The sense of "be fitted or adapted to, answer to the requirements of" is from c. 1600.
The transitive meaning "provide (someone) with clothes" is from 1570s; that of "dress oneself" is from 1590s; with up (adv.) from 1945, American English. Expression suit yourself "do as you please" is attested by 1851. Related: Suited; suiting.
suite (n.)
1670s, "train of followers, company of attendants," from French suite, from Old French suite, sieute "act of following, attendance" (see suit (n.), which is an earlier borrowing of the same French word).
The meanings "set of instrumental compositions" (1680s), "connected set of rooms" (1716), and "set of furniture" (1805) were imported from French usages or re-spelled on the French model from suit in its sense of "a number of things taken collectively and constituting a sequence; a collection of things of like kind."
suit (n.)
c. 1300, sute, also suete, suite, seute, "a band of followers; a retinue, company;" also "set of matching garments" worn by such persons, "matching livery or uniform;" hence "kind, sort; the same kind, a match;" also "pursuit, chase," and in law, "obligation (of a tenant) to attend court; attendance at court."
This is from Anglo-French suit, siwete, from Old French suite, sieute "pursuit, act of following, hunt; retinue; assembly" (12c., Modern French suite), from Vulgar Latin *sequita, fem. of *sequitus, from Latin secutus, past participle of sequi "to attend, follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").
The legal sense of "lawsuit; legal action, proceeding in a court of justice" is from mid-14c. The meaning "the wooing of a woman" is from late 15c.
By late 14c. in reference to any matched set of objects; the meaning "row, series, sequence" also is attested from late 14c., as is the sense of "set of clothes to be worn together; hence its use as a derisive term for "businessman" (1979).
It is also attested from late 14c. as "matching material or fabric," from the notion of the livery or uniform of court attendants. The meaning "class of playing cards bearing the same symbol" is attested from 1520s, also ultimately from the notion of livery. To follow suit (1670s) is from card-playing: "play a card of the same suit first played," hence, figuratively, "continue the conduct of a predecessor."
suitable (adj.)
1580s, "capable of suiting, conformable, fitting, appropriate," from suit (v.) + -able. Earlier suit-like (1560s). Related: Suitably; suitableness. Middle English had suitly (adv.) "so as to match" (mid-15c.).
suitability (n.)
"suitableness, character of being suitable," 1680s, from suitable + -ity.
suitcase (n.)
1898, "case for holding a suit of clothes," from suit (n.) + case (n.2). Later used generally of oblong hinged cases for clothing and personal items. To live out of a suitcase "move between temporary accommodations" is by 1946. In reference to small nuclear weapons, by 1954.
suitor (n.)
c. 1300, sutour, "a frequenter;" late 14c., "follower, disciple," from Anglo-French seutor, suitor or directly from Late Latin secutor "follower, pursuer," from sect- past participle stem of sequi "to follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").
The meaning "plaintiff in a lawsuit, party to a litigation" is from mid-15c. The meaning "one who seeks (the hand of a woman) in marriage" is from 1580s. For fem. form suitress (1714), OED quoted Rowe's "Jane Shore," Cowper, and The Daily Telegraph.
Sukey
also Sukie, familiar form of fem. proper name Susan or Susanna. As "a tea kettle" from 1823 (Bee).
Sulawesi
see Celebes.
sulcate (adj.)
"furrowed, grooved," 1760, from Latin sulcatus, past participle of sulcare "to make furrowed," from sulcus "furrow, trench, ditch" (see sulcus). Related: Sulcation.
sulcus (n.)
plural sulci, 1660s, "a groove;" used by 1744 in anatomy and from 1833 specifically as "fissure between convolutions of the brain;" from Latin sulcus "furrow, trench, ditch, wrinkle," apparently literally "the result of plowing," from PIE *selk- "to pull, draw" (source also of Greek holkos "furrow," Old English sulh "plow," Lithuanian velku "I draw").
sulfa
by 1951, short for sulfa drug (1942), the name for the group of drugs derived from sulfanilamide ("amide of sulfanilic acid"), which is attested by 1937. Sulfanilamide is so called because it is a sulphonic derivative of the dye-stuff aniline. For the first element, see sulfur. The spelling sulpha is standard in Britain.
sulfate (n.)
"a salt of sulfuric acid," 1790 (sulphat, in Kerr's translation of Lavoisier), from French sulphate (1787), from Modern Latin sulphatum acidum, from Latin sulpur, sulphur (see sulfur) + chemical ending -ate (3). The spelling sulphate is standard in Britain.
sulfide (n.)
compound of sulfur with another element, 1831, from French sulfide; see sulfur + -ide. Related: Sulfiditic. The spelling sulphide is standard in Britain.
sulfite (n.)
"a salt of sulfurous acid," 1790, from sulfur + -ite (2). The spelling sulphite is standard in Britain.
sulfur (n.)
non-metallic elemental substance abundant in volcanic regions, late 14c., sulphur, soulphre, soulfre, soufre, etc., from Anglo-French sulfere, Old French soufre "sulfur, fire and brimstone, hellfire" (13c.), later also sulphur, from Late Latin sulfur, from Latin sulphur, which is probably from a root meaning "to burn."
It ousted native brimstone and cognate Old English swefl (compare German schwefel, Swedish swafel, Dutch zwavel). Emblematic of Hell or hellfire; to the Elizabethans it also was the stuff of lightning. The spelling sulphur is standard in Britain, but its suggestion of a Greek origin is misleading.
sulfureous (adj.)
also sulphureous, 1550s, "emanating from sulfur," from Latin sulphureus "of or like sulfur," from sulphur (see sulfur). Earlier as sulfurious, sulphurious (late 15c.). By c. 1600 of springs and waters, "full of sulfur;" by 1650s (Blount) as a color name ("the color of brimstone").
sulfurous (adj.)
1520s, "containing, impregnated with, or resembling sulfur; of the nature of brimstone," from Latin sulphurosus "full of sulfur," or a native formation from sulfur + -ous. The spelling sulphurous is standard in Britain.
Hence figurative use with suggestions of hellfire (c. 1600). The scientific chemistry sense is from 1790. The spelling with -ph- is standard in Britain.
Middle English had sulfury "containing or impregnated with sulfur" (early 15c.). Earlier in the "brimstone-like" sense was sulphureose (early 15c.), and Old English had sweflen. Related: Sulfurously; sulphurously; sulfurousness.
sulfuric (adj.)
"of, pertaining to, or obtained from sulfur," also sulphuric, 1790, from French sulfurique; see sulfur + -ic. The spelling sulphuric is standard in Britain.
sulfurity (n.)
also sulphurity, "sulfurousness," 1640s, as if from Latin sulfuritatem; see sulfur + -ity.
sulk (v.)
"be morose or glum, indulge in sullenness," 1781 (implied in sulked), back-formation of sulky (adj.). Related: Sulking. As a noun from 1792 as "fit or act of sulking;" 1804 as "state or condition of sulking."
sulky (adj.)
"quietly sullen, silently resentful, moody and aloof, disposed to repel friendly advances," 1744, a word of uncertain origin. There is no record of it in Middle English. Connection has been suggested to the obsolete adjective sulke "hard to sell" (1630s) and to Old English asolcen "idle, lazy, slow."
This is a past-participle adjective from aseolcan "become sluggish, be weak or idle" (related to besylcan "be languid"), from Proto-Germanic *seklan (source also of Middle High German selken "to drop, fall").
But words of meaning similar to sulky often are held to be imitative (compare miff, mope, pout, boudoir). Related: Sulkily; sulkiness.
sulky (n.)
"light carriage with two wheels," 1756, said to be a noun use of sulky (adj.), on the notion of "standoffishness," because, the carriage having only one seat, the rider must ride alone.
sullen (adj.)
1570s, an alteration of Middle English solein, soleyn "unique, singular, remarkable, strange;" also "solitary, lone, unmarried" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French *solein, formed on the pattern of Old French solain "lonely," from soul "single," from Latin solus "by oneself, alone" (see sole (adj.)).
The sense shift from "solitary" to "morose" (i.e. "remaining alone through ill-humor") beginning late 14c. and the older senses faded. Related: Sullenly; sullenness.
sully (v.)
"to soil, stain, tarnish, defile," 1570s (implied in sullied), probably from French souiller "to soil," also figurative, of moral defilement, from Old French soillier "make dirty" (see soil (v.)).
It probably was influenced by or conflated with Middle English sulen "become dirty," from Old English sylian "defile, bemire." Related: Sullying.
sulphate (n.)
The standard spelling of sulfate (q.v.) in Britain.
sulphide (n.)
The standard spelling of sulfide (q.v.) in Britain.
sulphite (n.)
The standard spelling of sulfite (q.v.) in Britain.
sulphureous (adj.)
The standard spelling of sulfureous (q.v.) in Britain.
sulphur (n.)
see sulfur. The form preferred in Britain. The spelling's suggestion of Greek origin is misleading.
sulphurous (adj.)
The standard spelling of sulfurous (q.v.) in Britain.
sulphuric (adj.)
The standard spelling of sulfuric (q.v.) in Britain.
sultan (n.)
1550s, "a Muslim sovereign," from French sultan especially "the ruler of Turkey" (16c., the "Sultan of Sultans"), ultimately from Arabic (Semitic) sultan "ruler, prince, monarch, king, queen," originally "power, dominion." According to Klein's sources, this is from Aramaic shultana "power," from shelet "have power."
An earlier English form of the word was soldan, soudan (c. 1300), used indiscriminately of Muslim rulers and sovereigns, from Old French souldan, soudan, an uncorrected or vulgar form from Medieval Latin sultanus. Related: Sultanic.
sultanate (n.)
"rule, dominion, or territory of a sultan," 1794, from sultan + -ate (1).
sultana (n.)
wife, mother, daughter, or concubine of a sultan, 1580s, from Italian sultana, fem. of sultano (see sultan). Middle English had soudanesse "sultaness" (late 14c.).
sultry (adj.)
1590s, of weather, air, etc., "oppressively hot, close and moist;" it is ultimately swelter + -y (2), either as a contraction of sweltry or from the obsolete verb sulter "to swelter" (1580s), itself an alteration of swelter.
The figurative sense of "hot with lust" is attested from 1704, and it is attested by 1887 as "smutty;" in reference to women, "lascivious, sensual, arousing desire" it is recorded by 1940. Related: Sultriness.
sum-
assimilated form of sub- before -m-.
sum (v.)
early 14c., sommen, "to count (things, people), count up, calculate, combine into a total," from Old French sommer "to count, add up," or directly from Medieval Latin summare, from summa (see sum (n.)).
The meaning "briefly state the substance of" is recorded by 1620s (since c. 1700 usually with up). Related: Summed; summing.
sum (n.)
c. 1300, somme, summe, "a quantity or amount of money," from Anglo-French and Old French summe, somme "amount, total; collection; essential point; summing up, conclusion" (13c., Modern French somme), from Latin summa "the top, summit; chief place, highest rank; main thing, chief point, essence, gist; an amount (of money)."
This is a noun use (via phrases such as summa pars, summa res) of the fem. of summus "highest, uppermost" (from PIE *sup-mos-, suffixed form of root *uper "over").
The sense development from "highest" to "total number, the whole" probably is via the Roman custom of adding a stack of figures up from the bottom and writing the sum at the top, rather than top-to-bottom as now (compare bottom line).
From c. 1300 in English as "the whole, the principal points viewed together; the general sense of "numerical quantity" of anything, "a total number" is from late 14c. The meaning "essence of a writing or speech" also is attested from mid-14c.
The mathematical meaning "aggregate of two or more numbers" is from early 15c.; the sense of "arithmetical problem to be solved" is from 1803. Sum-total "aggregate of all items in an account" is attested from late 14c., from Medieval Latin summa totalis.
sumac (n.)
also sumach, c. 1300, "preparation of dried, chopped leaves of a plant of the genus Rhus" (used in tanning and dyeing and as an astringent), from Old French sumac (13c.), from Medieval Latin sumach, from Arabic summaq, from Syrian summaq "red." In reference to the tree or shrub itself from 1540s; later applied to a North American plant species.
Sumatra
large island of western Indonesia, the name is said to be from Sanskrit Samudradvipa "ocean-island." Related: Sumatran (1783).
Sumerian (adj.)
1874, from French Sumérien (1872), "pertaining to Sumer," the name of a district in ancient Babylonia, once the seat of a great civilization. As a noun, "Sumerian person," by 1878; as the name of an ancient language by 1887. Related: Sumeria.
summative (adj.)
"operating or acting by means of addition," 1836, from Modern Latin summat-, stem of summare "to sum" (see summation) + -ive.
summa cum laude
Latin, "with highest praise;" from fem. of summus "highest, uppermost" (see sum (n.)) + cum (prep.) "with, together with, in connection with" (an archaic form of com; see com-) + laus (genitive laudis) "praise, fame, glory" (see laud (v.)).
summarize (v.)
"make or be a summary or abstract of; state or represent briefly," 1837, American English, from summary + -ize. Related: Summarized; summarizing.
summarization (n.)
"action or process of summarizing," 1860, noun of action from summarize.
summary (adj.)
early 15c., summari, of a statement or account, "brief, abbreviated; containing the sum or substance only," from Medieval Latin summarius "of or pertaining to the sum or substance," from Latin summa "whole, totality, gist" (see sum (n.)). Compare the Latin phrase ad summam "on the whole, generally, in short."
The sense of "done promptly, performed without hesitation or formality" is from 1713.
summary (n.)
"a summary statement or account," c. 1500, from Latin summarium "an epitome, abstract, summary," from summa "totality, gist" (see sum (n.)). Specifically in law, "a short application to a court or judge without formality of a full proceeding."
summarily (adv.)
1520s, "briefly, in few words," from summary + -ly (2). The meaning "without hesitation or formality, at once" is from 1620s.
summarise (v.)
chiefly British English spelling of summarize (q.v.); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Summarised; summarising; summarisation.
summate (v.)
"add together, combine," 1900, in physiology, from Medieval Latin summatus, past participle of summare "to sum" (see summation). Related: Summated; summating.
summation (n.)
1760, in mathematics, "process of calculating a sum," from Modern Latin summationem (nominative summatio) "an adding up," noun of action from Late Latin summatus, past participle of summare "to sum up," from Latin summa (see sum (n.)). The meaning "a summing up" is from 1836. Related: Summational.
summer (n.2)
"horizontal bearing-beam," late 13c., somer, from Anglo-French sumer, Old French somier "main beam," originally "pack horse," from Vulgar Latin *saumarius, from Late Latin sagmarius "pack horse," from sagma "packsaddle" (see sumpter). Also in Middle English "pack horse" (c. 1300).
summerize (v.)
1797, "to spend the summer," a jocular formation from summer (n.1) + -ize. It appears from 1935 in commercial advertisements as "to prepare (something) for summer," probably based on winterize. Related: Summerized; summerizing.
summer (n.1)
"hot season of the year," Middle English somer, from Old English sumor "summer," from Proto-Germanic *sumra- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old High German sumar, Old Frisian sumur, Middle Dutch somer, Dutch zomer, German Sommer). This is from PIE root *sm- "summer" (source also of Sanskrit sama "season, half-year," Avestan hama "in summer," Armenian amarn "summer," Old Irish sam, Old Welsh ham, Welsh haf "summer").
The meaning "age in years" (counted by summers) is by c. 1300. As an adjective from c. 1300, "of or pertaining to summer." Figuratively, "lasting only as long as pleasure or prosperity does," by 1590s.
Summer resort is attested from 1823; summer- as a general modifier in reference to people who visit a place only during the summer is by 1886. The theatrical summer stock is attested from 1941 (see stock (n.2)), originally especially of companies organized for summer resorts.
Summer camp as an institution for youth is attested from 1886; summer school first recorded 1810; theatrical The U.S. Southern summer kitchen, away from the house, is so called by 1874.
A summer's day as "a very long day" is by c. 1300. Old Norse sumarsdag, first day of summer, was the Thursday that fell between April 9 and 15.
summer (n.3)
"one who adds," 1610s, agent noun from sum (v.).
summer (v.)
"pass the summer, reside during the summer," mid-15c., someren, from summer (n.1). Related: Summered; summering.
summery (adj.)
1812, "resembling or pertaining to summer," from summer (n.1) + -y (2). Probably a modern coinage, but an edition of Lydgate (late 15c.) has somery floures "flowers blooming in summer." Earlier was summerly (late Old English sumerlice) "warm and pleasant."
summerlong (adj.)
"all the summer, lasting from spring until fall, as long as a summer," Old English sumor lang; see summer (n.1) + long (adj.).
summertime (n.)
also summer-time, "the season of summer," late 14c., somer tyme, from summer (n.1) + time (n.). In Britain, as two words, with reference to what in U.S. is daylight saving time, recorded from 1916.
Earlier were summertide (mid-13c.), sumeres tid (late Old English).
summit (n.)
c. 1400, somet, "highest point, peak, apex" of a physical thing, from Old French somete "summit, top," diminutive of som, sum "highest part, top of a hill," from Latin summum, noun use of neuter of summus "highest" (from PIE root *uper "over").
The older form of the word in English is summity (late 14c.), from Old French summite, from Late Latin summitas.
Figuratively, of abstract things, from 1711. The meaning "meeting of heads of state" (1950) is from Winston Churchill's metaphor of "a parley at the summit" and the phrasing at the summit was usual in this sense at first; summit alone in this sense is by 1959, probably short for summit meeting (by 1955).
summoner (n.)
"one who summons by authority, petty officer who cites persons to appear in court," secular or ecclesiastical, early 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), from Anglo-French sumenour, Old French somoneor, from Medieval Latin summonitorem, from past participle stem of summonere (see summon). The contracted form sumner is attested from mid-14c.
summon (n.)
"a calling or notification by authority to be in a certain place at a certain time," c. 1300; see summons.
summon (v.)
c. 1200, somnen, "call, send for, ask the presence of," especially "call, cite, or notify by authority to be at a certain place at a certain time" (late 13c.), from Anglo-French sumunre and directly from Old French somonre, variant of sumundre, somondre "summon." This is from Vulgar Latin *summundre "to call, cite," from Latin summonere "hint to, remind or advise privately," from assimilated form of sub "under" (see sub-) + monere "to admonish, warn, advise" (see monitory).
It is also in part from Medieval Latin use of summonere. In Middle English and early Modern English also summond. In reference to abstract things (power, courage), the meaning "arouse, excite to action" is from 1580s. Related: Summoned; summoning.
summons (n.)
"a command to appear; an authoritative call to be at a certain place for a certain purpose," also used of the writ or citation itself, c. 1300, somoun, from Old French sumunse, noun use of fem. past participle of somondre (see summon (v.)). In general use by 1560s. As a verb from 1650s.