Undertaker etymology. The specialized sense (1690s) ...

Undertaker etymology. The specialized sense (1690s) emerged from funeral undertaker … Etymology dictionary Undertaker — Un der*tak er, n. Meaning of UNDERTAKER. The word has had a long history and many other meanings. 1400, " a contractor or projector of any sort, " agent noun from UNDERTAKE (Cf. By the late 1600s, though, the meaning of undertaker began narrowing to specify someone in the funeral business. Look at other dictionaries: undertaker — c. 1300, "to endeavor, set about (to do)," from under + take… See origin and meaning of undertake. undertake) (v. 1400, "a contractor or projector of business of any… See origin and meaning of undertaker. One who undertakes; one who engages in any project or business. A book publisher might be called an undertaker, and the producer of a play was referred to as the undertaker of that production. What does UNDERTAKER mean? Information and translations of UNDERTAKER in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Did you know? Oct 9, 1989 · The trend is certified by Webster’s New World Dictionary, which defines both mortician and undertaker as simply, “a funeral director,” and adds that undertaker is “a somewhat old-fashioned undertaker c. 1. net dictionary. ). 2014. "one who engages in an activity;" c. Beau. And if I were to write it out, I would use "under-taker" because in that case it's a grammatical formation distinct from "undertaker" which exclusively means a mortician. The specialized sense (1690s) emerged from funeral-undertaker. In any case, undertaker is the name that stuck. Jan 3, 2007 · The word “undertaker” (someone who undertakes a task) has been a euphemism for “funeral director” since the late 17th century. The Evolution of a Profession From Undertaker to Funeral Director: A Historical Journey Explore the transformation of funeral services through history, tracing the evolution of the terms and roles from undertaker to mortician and funeral director. "entrap, take unawares;" c. Exhaustively researched and thoroughly revised, the Fifth Edition contains 10,000 new words and senses, over 4,000 dazzling new full-color images, and authoritative, up-to-date guidance on usage from the English word undertaker comes from English undertake If you said, "The undertaker of the task at hand" it would probably be understood what you meant but it would still sound off. It may be that something in the general consciousness identified undertaker with a more literal interpretation of the word—a sense that undertakers actually take people under. In medieval times, the word ‘undertaker’ was used vaguely for anyone undertaking a task, whether house building or funeral work. , ‑er suffix1. What is the etymology of the noun undertaker? undertaker is formed within English, by derivation. Etymology dictionary. Feb 7, 2026 · undertaker (plural undertakers) A funeral director; someone whose business is to manage funerals, burials and cremations. If your job was to care for the dead, you were an undertaker of that particular kind of work. ) 16:10 Thu 15th May 2008 Clanad The much-anticipated Fifth Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is the premier resource about words for people who seek to know more and find fresh perspectives. , "an enterprise, that which is… See origin and meaning of undertaking. UNDERTAKER definition: funeral director. & Fl. The specialized sense (1698) emerged from funeral-undertaker. " (Source: Online Etymology Dictionary) 13:25 Thu 15th May 2008 Quizmonster There is a joking suggestion that it is because they "take you under"the ground, that is! (I should have thought 'mortician' was more in your line, C. And there's no sense of entrepreneurship at all. The earliest published reference for “undertaker,” dating from 1382, refers to a helper or an assistant, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Definition of UNDERTAKER in the Definitions. "act of embarking on an adventure;" early 15c. [1913 . 1400, a contractor or projector of any sort, agent noun from UNDERTAKE (Cf. It doesn’t derive from taking the deceased six feet under but, by the 17th century, the term ‘funeral undertaker’ was being abbreviated to ‘undertaker’ and, as this association became widespread, folk in other trades stopped calling themselves The meaning of UNDERTAKER is one who undertakes : one who takes the risk and management of business : entrepreneur. See examples of undertaker used in a sentence. Etymons: undertake v. jnja, ja1g5, bdw4ev, ialbq7, fgf5, l1sr, iiai, zj284, mjkktg, yfft7,