FIT

This article appears in Volume V10, Page 438 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: FAT-FLA

FIT , a word with several meanings. (I) A portion or division of a poem, a

canto

CANTO (from the Lat. cantus, a song)

, in this sense often spelled " fytte." (2) A sudden but temporary seizure or attack of illness, particularly one with convulsive paroxysms accompanied by unconsciousness, especially an attack of apoplexy or epilepsy, but also applied to a transitory attack of gout, of coughing, fainting, &c., also of an outburst of tears, of merriment or of temper. In a transferred sense, the word is also used of any temporary or irregular periods of action or inaction, and hence in such expressions as " by fits and starts." (3) As an

adjective

ADJECTIVE (from the Lat. adjectives, added)

, meaning suitable, proper, becoming, often with the

idea

IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

of having necessary qualifications for a specific purpose, " a fit and proper person "; and also as prepared for, or in a good

condition

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

for, any enterprise. The verb " to fit " is thus used intransitively and transitively, to be adapted for, to suit, particularly to be of the right measurement or shape, of a dress, of parts of a mechanism, &c., and to make or render a thing in such a

condition

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

. Hence the word is used as a substantive.
The etymology of the word is difficult; the word may be one in origin, or may be a homonymous

term

TERM

, one in

sound

SOUND
SOUND, THE (Danish Oresund)

and spelling but with different origin in each different meaning. In Skeat's Etymological Dictionary (ed. 1898) (I) and (2) are connected and derived from the root of " foot," which appears in Lat. pes, pedis. The

evolution

EVOLUTION

of the word is: step, a

part

PART

of a poem, a struggle, a seizure. (3) A word of Scandinavian origin, with the

idea

IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

of " knitted together " (cf. Ice. fitja, to knit together, Goth. fetjan, to adorn); the ultimate origin is a Teutonic root meaning to seize (cf. " fetch "). The New

English

ENGLISH

Dictionary suggests that this last root may be the origin of all the words, and that the underlying meaning is junction,

meeting

MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

; the early use of " fit " (2) is that of conflict. It is also pointed out that the meanings of " fit," suitable, proper, have been modified by " feat," which comes through Fr. fait, from Lat. factum, facere, to do, make.

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