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Origin and history of favor

favor(n.)

c. 1300, "attractiveness, beauty, charm" (archaic), from Old French favor "a favor; approval, praise; applause; partiality" (13c., Modern French faveur), from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to," from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worship" (cognate: Old Norse ga "to heed").

Meaning "good will, kind regard" is from mid-14c. in English; sense of "act of kindness, a kindness done" is from late 14c. Meaning "bias, partiality" is from late 14c. Meaning "thing given as a mark of favor" is from late 15c. Phrase in favor of recorded from 1560s.

favor(v.)

mid-14c., "to regard with favor, indulge, treat with partiality," from Old French favorer, from favor "a favor, partiality" (see favor (n.)). Meaning "to resemble, look somewhat like" is from c. 1600. Related: Favored; favoring.

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to favor

favored(adj.)

1725, "enjoying unusual advantages," past-participle adjective from favor (v.). In compounds or phrases, "-featured, -looking," from c. 1400 (for example, well-favored "good-looking;" worst-favored "ugliest").

disfavor(n.)

1530s "unfavorable regard, slight displeasure;" 1580s, "state of being regarded unfavorably;" see dis- "the opposite of" + favor (n.). As a verb, "withdraw or withhold favor or support," from 1560s. Related: Disfavored; disfavoring.

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Trends of favor

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

favorite
"person or thing regarded with especial liking," 1580s, from French favorit, perhaps via Italian favorito, noun use of past participle of favorire, from favore, from Latin favorem "inclination, partiality, support" (see favor (n.)). Especially, "a person who gains dominant influe
gawk
"stare stupidly," 1785, American English, of uncertain origin. Perhaps [Watkins] from gaw, a survival from Middle English gowen "to stare" (c. 1200), from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse ga "to heed," from Proto-Germanic *gawon, from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worshi
prefer
late 14c., preferren, "to put forward or advance in rank or fortune, to promote (to an office, dignity, or position); further (one's interest)," from Old French preferer (14c.) and directly from Latin praeferre "place or set before, carry in front," from prae "before" (see pre-)
gracious
Old French gracios "courteous, pleasing, kind, friendly" (12c., Modern French gracieux), from Latin gratiosus "enjoying favor..., agreeable, obliging; popular, acceptable," from gratia "favor" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor")....
beneficial
helpful, advantageous, conferring benefit," from Old French bénéficial and directly from Latin beneficialis "pertaining to a favor...," from beneficium "a favor, service, kindness," from beneficus "generous, kind, benevolent, obliging," from bene- "good,...
grace
late 12c., "God's unmerited favor, love, or help," from Old French grace "pardon, divine grace, mercy; favor, thanks; elegance..., virtue" (12c., Modern French grâce), from Latin gratia "favor, esteem, regard; pleasing quality, good will, gratitude"...translating Greek kharisma), from gratus "pleasing, agreeable" (from PIE *gwreto-, suffixed form of root *gwere- (2) "to favor...
grateful
obsolete adjective grate "agreeable, pleasant," from Latin gratus "pleasing" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor...often expresses the feeling and the readiness to manifest the feeling by acts, even a long time after the rendering of the favor...; thankful refers rather to the immediate acknowledgment of the favor by words....
permit
early 15c., permitten, transitive, "allow (something) to be done, suffer or allow to be," from Old French permetre and directly from Latin permittere "let pass, let go, let loose; give up, hand over; let, allow, grant, permit," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward
promote
late 14c., promoten, "to advance (someone) to a higher grade or office, exalt or raise to a higher post or position," from Old French promoter and directly from Latin promotus, past participle of promovere "move forward, advance; cause to advance, push onward; bring to light, rev
let
Old English lætan (Northumbrian leta) "to allow; to leave behind, depart from; leave undone; bequeath," also "to rent, put to rent or hire" (class VII strong verb; past tense let, leort, past participle gelæten), from Proto-Germanic *letan (source also of Old Saxon latan, Old Fri

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