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Origin and history of change

change(v.)

c. 1200, chaungen, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive), from Old French changier "to change, alter; exchange, switch," from Late Latin cambiare "to barter, exchange," extended form of Latin cambire "to exchange, barter."

This is held to be of Celtic origin, from PIE root *kemb- "to bend, crook" (with a sense evolution perhaps from "to turn" to "to change," to "to barter"); cognate with Old Irish camm "crooked, curved;" Middle Irish cimb "tribute," cimbid "prisoner;" see cant (n.2).

From c. 1300 as "undergo alteration, become different." In part an abbreviation of exchange. From late 14c. especially as "to give an equivalent for in smaller parts of the same kind" (money). The meaning "to take off clothes and put on other ones" is from late 15c. Related: Changed; changing. To change (one's) mind is from 1590s.

also from c. 1200

change(n.)

c. 1200, chaunge, "act or fact of changing," from Anglo-French chaunge, Old French change "exchange, recompense, reciprocation," from changier "to alter; exchange; to switch" (see change (v.)). Related: Changes.

The meaning "a different situation, variety, novelty" is from 1680s (as in for a change, 1690s). The meaning "something substituted for something else" is attested by 1590s. The sense of "place where merchants meet to do business" is from c. 1400. The meaning "the passing from life to death" is biblical (1610s).

The financial sense of "balance of money returned after deducting the price of a purchase from the sum paid" is recorded by 1620s; hence to make change (by 1865).

The bell-ringing sense is from 1610s, "any sequence other than the diatonic;" hence the figurative phrase ring changes "repeat in every possible order" (1610s). The figurative phrase change of heart is from 1828. In reference to women, change of life "final cessation of menstruation" is recorded from 1834.

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to change

cant(n.2)

"slope, slant," late 14c., first in Scottish writing and apparently meaning "edge, brink," a word of uncertain origin. "[W]ords identical in form and corresponding in sense are found in many languages, Teutonic, Slavonic, Romanic, Celtic" [OED, 1989]. It was rare in English before c. 1600. The meaning "slope, slanting or tilting position" is from 1847.

Perhaps it comes via Old North French cant "corner" (itself perhaps via Middle Low German kante or Middle Dutch kant), from Vulgar Latin *canthus, from Latin cantus "iron tire of a wheel," which is possibly from a Celtic word meaning "rim of wheel, edge, brim" (compare Welsh cant "bordering of a circle, tire, edge," Breton cant "circle"). The ultimate connections of these are uncertain. Greek kanthos "corner of the eye," and Russian kutu "corner" sometimes are suggested, but there are difficulties (see Beekes).

changing(n.)

early 13c., "alteration;" mid-14c., "action of substituting one thing for another;" verbal noun from change (v.). Changing-room is by 1852, originally for miners, gunpowder-factory workers, etc.

[A]lso not any fires or smoking are to be allowed ; and, under no pretense whatsoever, is any lucifer match to be permitted on board ; and, to guard against the infringement of this order, the clothes with pockets in them are to be taken off in changing room, or examined before beginning the work. [from British navy regulations for loading and storing gunpowder, Office of Ordnance, June 5, 1852]