Does anybody know the origin of the expression "part and parcel"? Where and when did the word "parcel" start to be used?
Learn English – Origin of the expression “part and parcel”
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etymologyexpressions
Does anybody know the origin of the expression "part and parcel"? Where and when did the word "parcel" start to be used?
Best Answer
Citing Picturesque Expressions by Laurence Urdang, Facts on File Dictionary of Clichés (p.317), and the OED, Ken Greenwald had this comprehensive explanation of the phrase at Wordwizard:
Earliest reference from OED:
Earliest I can find via Google Books (from A Christian Directorie Guiding Men to Their Salvation, 1585):