1615–25; perhaps < North French dialectfunquier, funquer give off smoke, Old North Frenchfungier < Vulgar Latinfūmicāre, alteration of Latinfūmigāre; see fumigate
Funk
[foo ngk, fuhngk]
noun
Cas·i·mir[kaz-uh-meer]/ˈkæz əˌmɪər/, 1884–1967,U.S. biochemist, born in Poland: discovered thiamine, the first vitamin isolated.
Also called: blue funka state of nervousness, fear, or depression (esp in the phrase in a funk)
a coward
verb
to flinch from (responsibility) through fear
(tr; usually passive)to make afraid
Derived Formsfunker, noun
Word Origin for funk
C18: university slang, perhaps related to funk ²
funk
2
noun
USslanga strong foul odour
Word Origin for funk
C17 (in the sense: tobacco smoke): from funk (vb) to smoke (tobacco), probably of French dialect origin; compare Old French funkier to smoke, from Latin fūmigāre
funk
3
noun
informala type of polyrhythmic Black dance music with heavy syncopation
Word Origin for funk
C20: back formation from funky1
Funk
noun
Casimir (ˈkæzɪˌmɪə). 1884–1967, US biochemist, born in Poland: studied and named vitamins
"depression, ill-humor," 1743, probably originally Scottish and northern English; earlier as a verb, "panic, fail through panic," (1737), said to be 17c. Oxford University slang, perhaps from Flemish fonck "perturbation, agitation, distress," possibly related to Old French funicle "wild, mad."
n.2
"bad smell," 1620s, from dialectal French funkière "smoke," from Old French fungier "give off smoke; fill with smoke," from Latin fumigare "to smoke" (see fume (n.)). In reference to a style of music, it is first attested 1959, a back-formation from funky.
Polish-born American biochemist who is credited with the discovery of vitamins. In 1912 he postulated the existence of four organic bases he called vitamines which were necessary for normal health and the prevention of deficiency diseases. He also contributed to the knowledge of the hormones of the pituitary gland and the sex glands.
