[Ads-l] Antedating of "Back-Formation"

[Shapiro, Fred]

This antedating may be of interest to historians of the OED.



back-formation (OED 1888)


1887 _The Academy_ 7 May 327 (ProQuest)  On the whole the most likely supposition seems to be that the existence of the word _celour_ in English suggested the verb _ceelyn_ (to ceil), either as a mere "back-formation" or as an adaptation of Latin _celare_, French _celer_, with senses derived from that of the noun.


Fred Shapiro


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