Etymology, English, Appear

Etymology

From Middle English apperen, aperen, borrowed from Old French aparoir (French apparoir, apparaître), from Latin appāreō (“I appear”), from ad (“to”) + pāreō (“I come forth, I become visible”), from Proto-Italic *pāzēō, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-s- (“watch, see”), s-present of *peh₂- (“protect”).

Alternative forms

• appeare (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈpɪɹ/, [əˈpʰiɹ]
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /əˈpiːɹ/

Verb

appear (third-person singular simple present appears, present participle appearing, simple past and past participle appeared)

1. (intransitive) To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible.
2. (intransitive) To come before the public.

   A great writer appeared at that time.

3. (intransitive) To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, etc.; to present oneself as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried.
4. (intransitive) To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest.
5. (intransitive, copulative) To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.

   He appeared quite happy with the result.

6. (transitive) To bring into view.

Usage notes

• In the senses be obvious and seem, appear is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
• Particularly in the senses be obvious, seem, and bring into view, appear is a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous inflection.