A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)



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duty --- 1297, from Anglo-Fr. duete, from O.Fr. deu "due, owed," from V.L. *debutus, from L. debitus, pp. of debere "to owe." The sense of "tax or fee in imports, exports, etc." is from 1474; duty-free as a noun is attested from 1958.

dwarf --- O.E. dweorh, from P.Gmc. *dweraz, from PIE *dhwergwhos "something tiny." The mythological sense is from Ger., 1770. The verb meaning "to render dwarfish" is from 1626; that of "to cause to look small" is from 1850. The shift of the O.E. guttural at the end of the word to modern -f is typical (cf. enough, draft); O.E. pl. dweorgas became M.E. dwarrows, later leveled down to dwarfs. The use of dwarves for the legendary race was popularized by J.R.R. Tolkien.

dweeb --- 1968, U.S. college student slang, probably a variant of feeb "feeble person."

dwell --- O.E. dwellan "to mislead, deceive," originally "to make a fool of, lead astray," from P.Gmc. *dwaljanan (cf. O.N. dvöl "delay," dvali "sleep;" M.Du. dwellen "to stun, make giddy, perplex;" Dan. dvale "trance, stupor," dvaelbær "narcotic berry," source of M.E. dwale "nightshade"), from PIE *dhwel-. Related to O.E. gedweola "error, heresy, madness." Sense shifted in M.E. through "hinder, delay," to "linger" (c.1200, as still in phrase to dwell upon), to "make a home" (c.1250). Dwelling "place of residence" is attested from 1340.

dwindle --- 1596, apparently dim. and freq. of M.E. dwinen "waste away, fade, vanish," from O.E. dwinan, from P.Gmc. *dwinanan (cf. Du. dwijnen "to vanish").

dybbuk --- 1903, "malevolent spirit of a dead person possessing the body of a living one," from Jewish folklore, from Heb. dibbuk, from dabak "to cling, cleave to."

dye (n.) --- O.E. deah, deag "a color, hue, tinge," perhaps related to deagol "secret, hidden, dark, obscure," from P.Gmc. *daugilaz. The v. is from O.E. deagian "to dye." Spelling distinction between dye and die was not firm till 19c.

dyke --- 1931, Amer.Eng., probably shortening of morphadike, dialectal garbling of hermaphrodite, but bulldyker "engage in lesbian activities" is attested from 1921, and a source from 1896 lists dyke as slang for "the vulva."

dynamic --- 1817, as a term in philosophy; 1827 in the sense "force producing motion," from Fr. dynamique (1762), from Ger. dynamisch, introduced by Leibnitz 1691 from Gk. dynamikos "powerful," from dynamis "power," from dynasthai "be able to have power," of unknown origin. The fig. sense of "active, potent, energetic" is from 1856. Dynamics as a branch of physics was in use from 1788.

dynamite --- 1867, from Sw. dynamit, coined 1867 by its inventor, Sw. chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-96), from Gk. dynamis "power." Fig. sense of "something potentially dangerous" is from 1922.

dynamo --- 1882, short for Ger. dynamoelektrischemaschine, coined 1867 by its inventor, Ger. electrical engineer Werner Siemans (1816-92), from Gk. dynamis "power."

dynasty --- 1460, from L.L. dynastia, from Gk. dynasteia "power, lordship," from dynastes "ruler, chief," from dynasthai "have power."

dyne --- metric unit of force, 1873, from Ger. use of Gk. dynamis "power," also infl. by Fr. dyne.

dys- --- prefix meaning "bad, ill, abnormal," from Gk. dys- "bad, hard, unlucky," from PIE base *dus- "bad, ill, evil" (cf. Skt. dus-, O.Pers. duš- "ill," O.H.G. zur-, Goth. tuz- "un-"), used as a prefix, a derivative of *deu- "to lack, be wanting" (cf. Gk. dein "to lack, want").

dysentery --- 1382, from O.Fr. dissenterie, from L. dysenteria, from Gk. dysenteria, coined by Hippocrates, from dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + entera "intestines, bowels" (see inter-).

dysfunctional --- first recorded 1949, from dysfunction (1916), from Gk. dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + Eng. function (q.v.).

dyslexia --- c.1887, from Ger. dyslex, from Gk. dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + lexis "word," from legein "speak" (see lecture). Dyslexic is first recorded 1961.

dyspeptic --- 1694, from Gk. dyspeptos "hard to digest," from dys- "bad" (see dys-) + peptos "digested," from peptein "digest."

dysphemia --- 1884, "substitution of a vulgar or derogatory word or expression for a dignified or normal one," from Gk. dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + pheme "speaking," from phanai "speak" (see fame). The opposite of euphemism. Rediscovered 1933 from Fr. formation dysphémisme (1927).

dystopia --- imaginary bad place, 1868, in writings of J.S. Mill, from Gk. dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + (u)topia (q.v.).

dystrophy --- defective nutrition, from Mod.L. dystrophia, from Gk. dys- "hard, bad, ill" (see dys-) + trophe "nourishment."

E. coli --- bacteria inhabiting the gut of man and animals, short for Escherichia coli, from Ger. physician Theodor Escherich (1857-1911) + L. gen. of colon "colon."

E.T.A. --- abbreviation of estimated time (of) arrival, first attested 1939.

ea --- the usual O.E. word for "river, running water;" still in use in Lancashire.

each --- O.E. ælc "ever alike," from a "ever" + gelic "alike." Similar compounds are found in other Gmc. languages (cf. Du. elk, O.Fris. ellik). Originally used as we now use every (which is a compound of each) or all; modern use is by infl. of L. quisque. Modern spelling appeared late 1500s.

eager --- 1297, from O.Fr. aigre, from V.L. *acrus, from L. acer (gen. acris) "keen, sharp" (see acrid). The Eng. word kept an alternate meaning of "pungent, sharp-edged" till 19c. (e.g. Shakespeare's "The bitter clamour of two eager tongues," in "Richard II").

eagle --- c.1350, from O.Fr. egle, from O.Prov. aigla, from L. aquila "black eagle," fem. of aquilus "dark colored" (bird). The native term was erne. Golf score sense is first recorded 1922. The figurative eagle-eyed is attested from 1601.

Eames --- 1946, type of modern office chair, named for U.S. architect and designer Charles Eames (1907-78).

ear (1) --- organ of hearing, O.E. eare, from P.Gmc. *auzon (cf. Dan. øre, Ger. Ohr, Goth. auso), from PIE *aus- with a sense of "perception" (cf. Gk. aus, L. auris, Lith. ausis, O.C.S. ucho, O.Ir. au "ear," Avestan usi "the two ears"). The belief that itching or burning ears means someone is talking about you is mentioned in Pliny's "Natural History" (77 C.E.). Until at least the 1880s, even some medical men still believed piercing the ear lobes improved one's eyesight. Meaning "handle of a pitcher" is c.1440. Ear-wax is from 1398. Earshot is first recorded 1607. To be wet behind the ears "naive" is implied from 1914. Phrase walls have ears attested from 1620. Earful "a piece of one's mind" is from 1917; ear-bash (v.) is Australian slang (1944) for "to talk inordinately" (to someone).

ear (2) --- grain part of corn, from O.E. ear (W.Saxon), æher (Northumbrian) "spike, ear of grain," from P.Gmc. *akhaz (gen. *akhizaz), from PIE base *ak- "sharp, pointed" (cf. L. acus "husk of corn;" see acrid).

earl --- O.E. eorl "nobleman, warrior" (contrasted with ceorl "churl"), from P.Gmc. *erlo-z, of uncertain origin. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, "a warrior, a brave man;" in later O.E., a Danish under-king (equivalent of O.N. jarl), then one of the viceroys under the Danish dynasty in England. After 1066 adopted as the equivalent of L. comes (see count (n.)). Earldom is from c.1123.

early --- O.E. ærlice, from ær "soon, ere" (from P.Gmc. *airiz, from PIE *ayer- "day, morning") + -lice "-ly," adverbial suffix. The early bird of the proverb is from 1670s.

earmark --- 1523, from ear (1) + mark (1). Originally a cut or mark in the ear of sheep and cattle, serving as a sign of ownership; first recorded 1577 in figurative sense.

earn --- O.E. earnian "get a reward for labor," from W.Gmc. *aznojanan, from *aznu "work, labor" (cf. O.H.G. aran, Ger. Ernte "harvest," Goth. asans "harvest, summer," O.N. önn "work in the field"). Related to O.E. esne "serf."

earnest --- O.E. eornoste (adj.) from a noun eornost "passion, zeal" (surviving only in the phrase in earnest), from P.Gmc. *ern "vigor, briskness" (cf. O.H.G. arnust "struggle," Goth. arniba "safely," O.N. jarna "fight, combat") The proper name Ernest (lit. "resolute") is from the same root.

earring --- O.E. earhring, from ear + hring (see ring (n.)). Now including any sort of ornament in the ear; the pendants were originally ear-drops (1720). "The two groups which had formerly a near monopoly on male earrings were Gypsies and sailors. Both has the usual traditions about eyesight [see ear (1)], but it was also said that sailors' earrings would save them from drowning, while others argued that should a sailor be drowned and washed up on some foreign shore, his gold earrings would pay for a proper Christian burial." ["Dictionary of English Folklore"]

earth --- O.E. eorðe "ground, soil, dry land," also used (along with middangeard) for "the (material) world" (as opposed to the heavens or the underworld), from P.Gmc. *ertho (cf. O.N. jörð, M.Du. eerde, O.H.G. erda, Goth. airþa), from PIE base *er-. The earth considered as a planet was so called from c.1400. Earthy in the fig. sense of "coarse, unrefined" is from 1594. Earthworm first attested 1591. Earthwork is from 1633. Earthlight apparently coined 1833 by British astronomer John Herschel.

earthling --- O.E. eyrþling "plowman" (see earth); the sense of "inhabitant of the earth" is from 1593. Earthman was originally (1860) "a demon who lives in the earth;" science fiction sense of "inhabitant of the planet Earth" first attested 1949 in writing of Robert Heinlein.

earth-mother --- 1904, folkloric spirit of the earth, conceived as sensual, maternal; a transl. of Ger. erdmutter.

earthquake --- c.1280, as eorthequakynge, from earth + quake. O.E. had eorðdin in this sense.

earwig --- (Forficula auricularia), O.E. earwicga, from eare (see ear (1)) + wicga "beetle, worm," probably related to wiggle. So called from the ancient and widespread (but false) belief that the garden pest went into people's ears.

ease --- c.1225, from O.Fr. aise "comfort, pleasure," of unknown origin, despite attempts to link it to various L. verbs. The earliest senses in Fr. appear to be 1. "elbow-room" (from an 11th century Hebrew-French glossary) and 2. "opportunity." This led Sophus Bugge to suggest an origin in V.L. asa, a shortened form of L. ansa "handle," which could be used in the figurative sense of "opportunity, occasion," as well as being a possible synonym for "elbow," since L. ansatus "furnished with handles" also was used to mean "having the arms akimbo." OED editors report this theory, and write, "This is not very satisfactory, but it does not appear that any equally plausible alternative has yet been proposed." The verb meaning "to give ease" is from 1340; the sense of "to relax one's efforts" is from 1863.

easel --- 1596, from Du. ezel "easel," originally "ass," from M.Du. esel, from L. asinus "ass" (see ass (1)); the comparison being of loading a burden on a donkey and propping up a painting or canvas on a wooden stand.

easement --- c.1386, from O.Fr. aisement "ease," from aisier "to ease," from aise (see ease). The meaning "legal right or privilege of using something not one's own" is from 1463.

east --- O.E. east, from P.Gmc. *aus-to-, *austra- "east, toward the sunrise" (cf. Du. oost, Ger. Ost, O.N. austr "from the east"), from PIE *aus- "dawn" (cf. Skt. ushas "dawn," Gk. aurion "morning," O.Ir. usah, Lith. auszra "dawn," L. aurora "dawn," auster "south"), lit. "to shine." The east is the direction in which dawn breaks. For shift in sense in L., see Australia. Meaning "the eastern part of the world" (from Europe) is from c.1300. Cold War use of East for "communist states" first recorded 1951. Natives of eastern Germany and the Baltics were known as easterlings 16c.-18c. The east wind in Biblical Palestine was scorching and destructive (cf. Ezek. xvii.10); in New England it is bleak, wet, unhealthful. East End of London so called from 1846; East Side of Manhattan so called from 1882; Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia so called from 1624. East Indies (India and Southeast Asia) so called 1598 to distinguish them from the West Indies.

Easter --- O.E. Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from P.Gmc. *Austron, a goddess of fertility and sunrise whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox, from *austra-, from PIE *aus- "to shine" (especially of the dawn). Bede says Anglo-Saxon Christians adopted her name and many of the celebratory practices for their Mass of Christ's resurrection. Ultimately related to east. Almost all neighboring languages use a variant of L. Pasche to name this holiday. Easter Island so called because it was discovered by Du. navigator Jakob Roggeveen on April 2, 1722, which was Easter Monday. It had been earlier visited by Eng. pirate Edward Davis (1695), but he neglected to name it. The native Polynesian name is Mata-kite-ran "Eyes that Watch the Stars."

Eastlake --- style of furniture, 1878, often a mere debased Gothic, but at its best inspired by Eng. designer Charles Locke Eastlake (1836-1906) and his book "Hints on Household Taste." "I find American tradesmen continually advertising what they are pleased to call 'Eastlake' furniture, with the production of which I have had nothing whatever to do, and for the taste of which I should be very sorry to be considered responsible" [C.L. Eastlake, 1878]

easy --- c.1200, "at ease," from O.Fr. aisie, pp. of aisier "to put at ease," from aise (see ease). Sense of "not difficult to deal with" is c.1340; of conditions, "comfortable," c.1380. The concept of "not difficult" was expressed in O.E. and early M.E. by eaþe (adv.), ieþe (adj.), apparently common W.Gmc., but of disputed origin. Easy-chair is from 1707; easy-going is from 1649, originally of horses. Easy Street first printed 1901 in "Peck's Red-Headed Boy." Easy rider (1912) was U.S. black slang for "sexually satisfying lover." The easy listening radio format is from 1965, defined by William Safire (in 1986) as, "the music of the 60's played in the 80's with the style of the 40's."

eat --- O.E. etan (class V strong verb; past tense æt, pp. eten), from P.Gmc. *etanan (cf. O.N. eta, Goth. itan, Ger. essen), from PIE base *ed- "to eat" (see edible). Transf. sense of "slow, gradual corrosion or destruction" is from 1555. Meaning "to preoccupy, engross" (as in what's eating you?) first recorded 1893. Slang sexual sense of "do cunnilingus on" is first recorded 1927. Eat out "dine away from home" is from 1933; eatery "restaurant" is from 1901; eats (n.) "food" is considered colloquial, but it was present in O.E. The slang phrase to eat one's words is from 1571; to eat one's heart out is from 1596; for eat one's hat, see hat.

eau --- Fr. for "water," in various combinations such as eau de vie "brandy" (1748), lit. "water of life;" eau de toilette (1907). For eau de Cologne see cologne.

eave --- late O.E., from S.W. Midlands dial. eovese (sing.), from O.E. efes "edge of a roof," from P.Gmc. *ubaswa-/*ubiswa (cf. O.H.G. obasa "porch, hall, roof," Goth. ubizwa "porch," Ger. oben "above"), from the root of over. Treated as plural and new singular form eave emerged c.1580.

eavesdropper --- 1487, from O.E. yfesdrype "place around a house where the rainwater drips off the roof," from eave (q.v.) + drip. Technically, "one who stands at walls or windows to overhear what's going on inside."

ebb --- O.E. ebba, perhaps from P.Gmc. *abjon, from *ab-, from PIE base *apo- "off, away" (see apo-). Figurative sense of "decline, decay" is c.1400.

Ebenezer --- male proper name, sometimes also the name of a Protestant chapel or meeting house, from name of a stone raised by Samuel to commemorate a victory over the Philistines at Mizpeh (I Sam. vii.12), from Heb. ebhen ezar "stone of help," from ebhen "stone" + ezer "help."

Ebionite --- 1650, sect (1c.-2c.) that held Jesus was a mere man and Christians were still bound by Mosaic Law, from L. ebonita, from Heb. ebyon "poor."

Eblis --- prince of the fallen angels in Arabic mythology and religion, from Arabic Iblis. Klein thinks this may be Gk. diablos, passed through Syriac where the first syllable was mistaken for the Syr. gen. particle di and dropped.

Ebonics --- African-American vernacular English, 1975, as title of a book by R.L. Williams, a blend of ebony and phonics.

ebony --- 1597, from hebenyf (1384), M.E. misreading L. hebenius "of ebony," from Gk. ebenios, from ebenos "ebony," probably from Egyp. hbnj or another Sem. source. Fig. use to suggest intense blackness is from 1623.

ebriety --- state or habit of being intoxicated, 1582, from L. ebrietatem, from ebrius "drunk." The opposite of sobriety.

ebullient --- 1599, "boiling," from L. ebullientem, prp. of ebullire "to spout out, burst out," from ex- "out" + bullire "to bubble" (see boil (v.)). Figurative sense of "enthusiastic" is first recorded 1664.

Ecce homo --- L., lit. "behold the man" (John xix.5).

eccentric --- 1398 as a term in Ptolemaic astronomy, from M.L. eccentricus, from Gk. ekkentros "out of the center" (as opposed to concentric), from ek "out" + kentron "center" (see center). Figurative sense of "odd, whimsical" (adj.) first recorded 1685. Noun meaning person with such qualities first attested 1832.

Ecclesiastes --- c.1300, name given to one of the O.T. books, traditionally ascribed to Solomon, from Gk. ekklesiastes (see ecclesiastic), to render Heb. qoheleth "one who addresses an assembly," from qahal "assembly." The title is technically the designation of the speaker, but that word throughout is usually rendered into Eng. as "The Preacher."

ecclesiastic --- 1483, from L.L. ecclesiasticus, from Gk. ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," later, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out."

ecdysiast --- H.L. Mencken's invented proper word for "strip-tease artist," 1940, from Gk. ekdysis "a stripping or casting off" (used scientifically with ref. to serpents shedding skin or crustacea molting), from ekdyein "to put off" (contrasted with endyo "to put on"), from ex- + dyo "sink, plunge, enter."

echelon --- 1796, from Fr. échelon "level, echelon," lit. "rung of a ladder," from O.Fr. eschelon, from eschiele "ladder," from L.L. scala "stair, slope," from L. scalæ (pl.) "ladder, steps." Originally "step-like arrangement of troops," sense of "level, subdivision" is from WWI.

echidna --- Australian egg-laying hedgehog-like mammal, 1847, usually explained as from Gk. ekhidna "snake, viper," from ekhis "snake," from PIE *angwhi- "snake, eel." But this sense is difficult to reconcile (unless it is a reference to the ant-eating tongue), and it seems more properly to belong to L. echinus, Gk. ekhinos "hedgehog" (in Gk. also "sea-urchin"), which Watkins explains as "snake-eater," from ekhis "snake."

echinoderm --- 1835, from Mod.L. Echinodermata, from Gk. ekhinos "sea urchin," originally "porcupine, hedgehog" + derma (gen. dermatos) "skin;" so called from its spiky shell.

echo --- 1340, from L. echo, from Gk. echo, personified as a mountain nymph, from ekhe "sound." The verb is from 1559; echolocation is from 1944. ECHO virus (1955) is an acronym for enteric cytopathogenic human orphan, "orphan" because when discovered they were not known to cause any disease.

eclair --- 1861, from Fr. éclair, lit. "lightning," from O.Fr. esclair, from esclairare "to light up, make shine," ult. from L. exclarare "light up, illumine," from ex- "out" + clarus "clear." The sense is perhaps the "lightness" of the confection.

eclat --- 1674, "showy brilliance," from Fr. éclat "splinter, fragment" (12c.), also "flash of brilliance," from eclater "burst out, splinter," from O.Fr. esclater, of uncertain origin, perhaps from a W.Gmc. word related to slit or to O.H.G. sleizen "tear to pieces; to split, cleave." Extended sense of "conspicuous success" is first recorded in Eng. in 1741.

eclectic --- 1683, from Fr. eclectique, from Gk. eklektikos "selective," lit. "picking out," from eklektos "selected," from eklegein "pick out, select," from ek "out" + legein "gather, choose" (see lecture). Originally a group of ancient philosophers who selected doctrines from every system; broader sense is first recorded 1814.

eclipse --- c.1280, from O.Fr. eclipse, from L. eclipsis, from Gk. ekleipsis "a leaving out, forsaking, an eclipse," from ekleipein "to forsake a usual place, fail to appear, be eclipsed," from ek "out" + leipein "to leave" (cognate with L. linquere; see relinquish). The celestial ecliptic (c.1391) is the circle in the sky followed by the Sun, so called because eclipses happen only when the Moon is near the line.

eclogue --- short poem, especially a pastoral dialogue, 1514, from L. ecloga, from Gk. ekloge "selection," from eklegein "to select" (see eclectic).

ecology --- 1873, coined by Ger. zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) as Okologie, from Gk. oikos "house, dwelling place, habitation" (see villa) + -logia "study of." Ecosystem is from 1935. Ecosphere (1953) is the region around a star where conditions allow life-bearing planets to exist.

economy --- c.1530, "household management," from L. oeconomia, from Gk. oikonomia "household management," from oikonomos "manager, steward," from oikos "house" (cognate with L. vicus "district," vicinus "near;" O.E. wic "dwelling, village;" see villa) + nomos "managing," from nemein "manage" (see numismatics). The sense of "manage the resources of a country" (short for political economy) is from 1651. Hence, economic (1835) means "related to the science of economics," while economical (1780) retains the sense "characterized by thrift." Economist is 1586 in the sense of "household manager," 1804 meaning "student of political economy." Economy (adj.) as a term in advertising at first meant simply "cheaper" (1821), then "bigger and thus cheaper per unit or amount" (1950).

ecru --- 1869, from Fr. ecru "raw, unbleached," from O.Fr. escru, from es- "thoroughly" + L. crudus "raw" (see crude).

ecstasy --- 1382, "in a frenzy or stupor, fearful, excited," from O.Fr. extasie, from L.L. extasis, from Gk. ekstasis "trance, distraction," from existanai "displace," also "drive out of one's mind" (existanai phrenon), from ek "out" + histanai "to place, cause to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Used by 17c. mystical writers for "a state of rapture that stupefied the body while the soul contemplated divine things," which probably helped the meaning shift to "exalted state of good feeling" (1620). Slang use for the drug 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine dates from 1985. Ecstatic "rapturously happy" is from 1664.

ecto- --- comb. form of Gk. ektos "outside" (adv.), used to form scientific compounds in Gk. Also in ectoplasm, which in the spiritualistic sense is first recorded c.1901 (see plasma).

-ectomy --- surgical removal, from Gk. -ektomia "a cutting out of," from ektemnein "to cut out," from ek "out" + temnein "to cut."

ecu --- old Fr. silver coin, 1704, from O.Fr. escu, from L. scutum "shield" (see hide (n.1)). First issued by Louis IX; so called because the shield of France was imprinted on them.

ecumenical --- c.1570, formed in Eng. as an ecclesiastical word, as if from L. oecumenicus "general, universal," from Gk. oikoumenikos, from he oikoumene ge "the inhabited world (as known to the ancient Greeks); the Greeks and their neighbors considered as developed human society," from oikoumenos, pr. passive participle of oikein "inhabit," from oikos "house, habitation" (see villa).

eczema --- 1753, from Gk. ekzema, from ekzein "to boil out," from ek "out" + zema "boiling," from zein "to boil," from PIE base *jes-. Said to have been the name given by ancient physicians to "any fiery pustule on the skin."

-ed --- pp. suffix of weak verbs, from O.E. -ed, -ad, -od (leveled to -ed in M.E.), from P.Gmc. *-do-, from PIE *-to- (cf. Gk. -tos, L. -tus). Originally fully pronounced, as still in beloved (which, with blessed, accursed, and a few others retains the full pronunciation through liturgical readings). In 16c.-18c. often written -t when so pronounced (usually after a consonant or short vowel), and still so where a long vowel in the stem is short in the pp. (crept, slept, etc.). In some older words both forms exist, with different shades of meaning, cf. gilded/gilt, burned/burnt.



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