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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

saunter en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsɔntɚ/ (General-American)
  • /ˈsɑntɚ/ (cot-caught-merger)
  • /ˈsɔːntə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology unclear. Attested in the sense “to stroll” from the 1660s; noun sense “a stroll” attested 1828. Likely from earlier term meaning “to muse”, late 15th century, from late Middle English santren, of unknown origin. Competing theories exist: * From Anglo-Norman sauntrer (mid 14th century), from Middle French s'aventurer (“to take risks”); however, this is considered unlikely by the OED. Compare Middle English aunter (“adventure”). * Of Germanic origin, with proposed cognates including German schlendern, Dutch slenteren, Danish slentre, Swedish släntra, and Icelandic slentur, all meaning “to stroll”. * From Old French sentier (“path”). In this case, santren would reflect earlier *sa(u)nteren, *senteren /sa(u̯)nˈteːrən/, /sɛnˈteːrən/, with Late Middle English stress shift and concomitant vowel reduction. Various fanciful folk etymologies have also been given.

Meanings

  1. A leisurely walk or stroll.
    • Caroline […] begged that the drive might be given up for a saunter about the gardens[…] 1814, Elizabeth Hervey, Amabel, volume 1, page 53:
  2. A leisurely, easy pace.
    • walking at a saunter
  3. (obsolete) A place for sauntering or strolling.
    • That wheel of fops, that saunter of the town. 1725–1728, [Edward Young], “(please specify the page)”, in Love of Fame, the Universal Passion. In Seven Characteristical Satires, 4th edition, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson […], published 1741, →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
saunters Number=Plur lexicographic

Translations (23)

nl slenteren (a leisurely walk or stroll) · pt passeio (a leisurely walk or stroll) · cs špacír (a leisurely walk or stroll) · bg разходка (a leisurely walk or stroll) · no spasertur (a leisurely walk or stroll) · ru прогу́лка (a leisurely walk or stroll) · cs procházka (a leisurely walk or stroll) · pl spacer (a leisurely walk or stroll) · cmn 閒逛 /闲逛 (a leisurely walk or stroll) · ru медленная походка (A leisurely pace) · cs líná chůze (a leisurely walk or stroll) · ko 한가로이 걷다 (a leisurely walk or stroll) · es paseo (a leisurely walk or stroll) · kk сейіл (a leisurely walk or stroll) · de Umherschlendern (a leisurely walk or stroll) · de gemächliche Wanderung (a leisurely walk or stroll) · pl przechadzka (a leisurely walk or stroll) · mnc ᡧᠣᡩᠣᠮᠪᡳ (a leisurely walk or stroll) · de Schlendergang (a leisurely walk or stroll) · kk серуен (a leisurely walk or stroll) · fr flânerie (a leisurely walk or stroll) · fi käyskennellä (a leisurely walk or stroll) · cs courání se (a leisurely walk or stroll)

wikipedia: Late Middle English · wikipedia: Henry David Thoreau

saunter en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsɔntɚ/ (General-American)
  • /ˈsɑntɚ/ (cot-caught-merger)
  • /ˈsɔːntə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology unclear. Attested in the sense “to stroll” from the 1660s; noun sense “a stroll” attested 1828. Likely from earlier term meaning “to muse”, late 15th century, from late Middle English santren, of unknown origin. Competing theories exist: * From Anglo-Norman sauntrer (mid 14th century), from Middle French s'aventurer (“to take risks”); however, this is considered unlikely by the OED. Compare Middle English aunter (“adventure”). * Of Germanic origin, with proposed cognates including German schlendern, Dutch slenteren, Danish slentre, Swedish släntra, and Icelandic slentur, all meaning “to stroll”. * From Old French sentier (“path”). In this case, santren would reflect earlier *sa(u)nteren, *senteren /sa(u̯)nˈteːrən/, /sɛnˈteːrən/, with Late Middle English stress shift and concomitant vowel reduction. Various fanciful folk etymologies have also been given.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To stroll, or walk at a leisurely pace.
    • Meanwhile the young ladies sauntered along—before or behind, as the case might be—in the company of the young business-man and that of another youth who had come out independently on the trolley. 1919, Henry B[lake] Fuller, “Cope at His House Party”, in Bertram Cope’s Year: A Novel, Chicago, Ill.: Ralph Fletcher Seymour, The Alderbrink Press, →OCLC, page 94:
    • One could lie under elm trees in a lawn, or saunter in meadows by the side of a stream. 1858-1880, David Masson, The Life Of John Milton: 1649-1654
    • And, after all, they were once very close, doesn’t Lewis still have the keys to his apartment, you know the way you let someone keep the keys after you’ve broken up, only a little because you hope the person might just saunter in, drunk or high, late some evening, […] 1986 November 24, Susan Sontag, “The Way We Live Now”, in The New Yorker:
    • She heard the door underneath unclose, and from underneath the green verandah she saw her mother saunter out. 1880, Ouida [pseudonym; Maria Louise Ramé], chapter II, in Moths […], volume I, London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 54:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
saunters Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
sauntered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
sauntered Tense=Past lexicographic
sauntering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

saunterer · saunteringly

Synonyms

wander · ramble · amble · stroll

Translations (35)

pl kroczyć (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · cs loudat se (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ru проха́живаться (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · fi käyskentely (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · it camminare (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · fa سیر کردن (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · eo vagi (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · cs courat se (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · es pasear (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ru прогу́ливаться (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · bg разхождам се бавно (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ru флани́ровать (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · it vagare (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · bg шляя се (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · de bummeln (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · fr flâner (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · sv släntra (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · sv flanera (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · pt passear (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · el σουλατσάρω (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · pl spacerować (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · it girovagare (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ota كزمك (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · sv strosa (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · de müßig umherschlendern (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · pl przechadzać się (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ga meallac (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · it passeggiare (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · nl slenteren (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · mi hāereere (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · it sollazzare (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · mi whakatīhake (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · no slentre (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · cs šourat se (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace) · ja 徘徊 (stroll or walk at a leisurely pace)

wikipedia: Late Middle English · wikipedia: Henry David Thoreau