English
chad
Chad may come from English chat ‘louse’.
- English1500–presentchat‘louse’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1939chad
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- English1500–presentchat‘louse’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1939chad
Earliest quotation: 1939, Ross A. Lake, Printing Perforating Telegraph Apparatus: “Prior devices of the type according to the present…”.
The story
The word predates the chadless punch, which therefore cannot be its origin, and a derivation from Scots chad (‘river gravel’) stated in some dictionaries is now thought to be nothing more than guesswork.
Linked words
through English chat ‘louse’
Today it means
noun Small pieces of paper punched out from the edges of continuous stationery, or from ballot papers, paper tape, punched cards, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / English chat / chad