pother (n.)

1590s, "disturbance, commotion," a word of unknown origin. Meaning "mental trouble" is from 1640s; verb sense of "to fluster" is attested from 1690s. According to OED originally rhyming with other, brother; the pronunciation shift came in 19c. by influence of bother.

also from 1590s

Trends of pother

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

fuss

"trifling bustle," 1701, originally colloquial, perhaps an alteration of force (n.), or "echoic of the sound of something sputtering or bubbling" [OED], or from Danish fjas "foolery, nonsense." First attested in Anglo-Irish writers, but there are no obvious connections to words i

rouse

mid-15c., rousen, intransitive, probably from Anglo-French or Old French reuser, ruser; Middle English Compendium compares 16c. French rousee "abrupt movement." Sometimes also said to be from Latin recusare "refuse, decline," with loss of the medial -c-. Originally in English a t

agitation

1560s, "debate, discussion" (on the notion of "a mental tossing to and fro"), from French agitation, from Latin agitationem (nominative agitatio) "motion, agitation," noun of action from past-participle stem of agitare "move to and fro," frequentative of agere "to set in motion,

excite

mid-14c., exciten, "to move, stir up, instigate," from Old French esciter (12c.) or directly from Latin excitare "rouse, call out, summon forth, produce," frequentative of exciere "call forth, instigate," from ex "out" (see ex-) + ciere "set in motion, call" (from PIE root *keie-

fret

Old English fretan "devour, feed upon, consume," from Proto-Germanic compound *fra-etan "to eat up," from *fra- "completely" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + *etan "to eat" (from PIE root *ed- "to eat"). Cognates include Dutch vreten, Old High German frezzan

agitate

1580s, "to disturb," from Latin agitatus, past participle of agitare "to put in constant or violent motion, drive onward, impel," frequentative of agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward," figuratively "incite to action; keep in movement, stir up" (from PIE root *ag- "to dr

charge

early 13c., chargen, "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). The senses of "entrust," "comma

other

Old English oþer "second, the second of two; additional, further" (adj.), also as a pronoun, "one of the two; a different person or thing from the one in view," from Proto-Germanic *anthera- (source also of Old Saxon athar, Old Frisian other, Old Norse annarr, Middle Dutch and Du

brother

"male person in his relation to another person or other persons of either sex born of the same parents," Old English broþor, from Proto-Germanic *brothar (source also of Old Norse broðir, Danish broder, Old Frisian brother, Dutch broeder, Old High German bruodar, German Bruder, G

manipulation

by 1730, a method of digging ore, from French manipulation, from manipule "handful" (a pharmacists' measure), from Latin manipulus "handful, sheaf, bundle," from manus "hand" (from PIE root *man- (2) "hand") + root of plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill"). Sense of

Share pother

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother">Etymology of pother by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of pother. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of pother,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of pother.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of pother.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/pother (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 23, 2020

Remove ads >

Dictionary entries near pother

potentiality

potentially

potentiate

potentiometer

pothead

pother

pot-holder

pothole

pot-hook

pot-hunter

*poti-