Passel is a noun meaning a large number or amount. It is a 19th-century Americanism that originated from Middle English 'parcel', with the loss of the 'r' in pronunciation.
Passel es un sustantivo que significa un gran número o cantidad. Es un americanismo del siglo XIX que se originó a partir del inglés medio "parcel", con la pérdida de la "r" en la pronunciación.
| Word | passel |
|---|---|
| Date | December 21, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | PASS-ul |
| Etymology | Loss of the sound of "r" after a vowel and before another consonant in the middle of a word is common in spoken English. This linguistic idiosyncrasy has given our language a few new words, including "cuss" from "curse," "bust" from "burst," and our featured word "passel" from "parcel." The spelling "passel" originated in the 15th century, but the word's use as a collective noun for an indefinite number is a 19th-century Americanism. It was common primarily in local-color writing before getting a boost in the 1940s, when it began appearing in popular weekly magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and the Saturday Review. |
| Examples | Knowing that there will be a passel of phone and e-mail messages to deal with, Rob is dreading going back to work after his two-week vacation. |
| Definition | : a large number or amount |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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