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Origin and history of serial

serial(adj.)

"arranged or disposed in a rank or row; forming part of a series; coming in regular succession," 1840, from series + -al (1). French sérial also seems to originate around 1840. Popularized in English in reference to Dickens' novels, which were first published over time in periodicals (as opposed to all at once in a book). The word was found to be useful to English and from the 1850s it was given wide application.

Serial number, indicating position in a series, first recorded 1866, originally of papers, packages, etc.; of soldiers from 1918. Serial killer is first attested 1981 (in relation to John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy), though serial had been used in connection with murders since the early 1960s. Related: Serially.

serial(n.)

1845, "a tale published in successive numbers of a periodical," from serial (adj.). Short for serial novel, etc. By 1914 as "a film shown in episodes," later extended to radio programs, etc.

also from 1845

Entries linking to serial

series(n.)

1610s, "a number or set of things of one kind arranged in a line, a continued succession of similar things," also of events following in order, from Latin series "row, chain, series, sequence, succession," from serere "to join, link, bind together, arrange, attach, put; join in speech, discuss" (from PIE root *ser- (2) "to line up"). The earlier word was serie "sequence of thoughts, discussion of a subject" (late 14c.).

The meaning "set of printed works published consecutively and having something in common" is from 1711. The meaning "set of radio or television programs with the same characters and themes" is attested from 1949. The baseball sense of "set of games on consecutive days between the same teams" is from 1862.

serialize(v.)

"published in serial form," 1852 (implied in serialized), from serial + -ize. Related: Serializing.

-al(1)

suffix forming adjectives from nouns or other adjectives, "of, like, related to, pertaining to," Middle English -al, -el, from French or directly from Latin -alis (see -al (2)).

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    Trends of serial

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

    More to explore

    Oxford
    Oxford comma for "serial comma" (the second in A, B, and C) is attested by 1990s, from its being used by Oxford University...usage (1926) in which he writes "there is no agreement at present on the punctuation," but adds that the omission of the serial...
    cliff-hanger
    also cliffhanger, "suspenseful situation," 1950, a transferred use from an earlier meaning "movie serial" (1937), from cliff...
    soap opera
    "melodramatic radio serial" (later extended to television), 1938, somewhat disparaging; see soap (n.) + opera (n.)....
    ripper
    The meaning "killer who mutilates his victims" (1890) is from Jack the Ripper, the notorious London serial murderer of 1888...
    feuilleton
    Esp. applied in F. to the short story or serial with which newspapers filled up after the fall of Napoleon left them short...
    episode
    Transferred by 1930s to individual broadcasts of serial radio programs....
    J
    not distinguish words beginning in -i- and -j- until 19c., and -j- formerly was skipped when letters were used to express serial...
    installment
    also instalment, 1580s, "induction into office, act of installing," from install + -ment...."a partial payment on account of debt due," 1776, earlier "the arrangement of payment" (1732), an alteration of Anglo-French estaler "to fix payments," from Old French estal "fixed positio
    broadcast
    1767, "dispersed upon the ground by hand," in reference to seed, from broad (adj.) + past participle of cast (v.). The figurative sense of "widely spread" is recorded by 1785. As an adverb from 1832. The modern media use began with radio (1922, adjective and noun). As a verb, rec
    number
    c. 1300, "sum, aggregate of a collection," from Anglo-French noumbre, Old French nombre and directly from Latin numerus "a number, quantity," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take." The meaning "written symbol or figure of arithmetic value" is from late 14c. The meaning "singl

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