Issue Once Meant a Way Out
An issue is a topic in dispute or an edition of a publication. The word first meant an exit, from a French verb meaning to go out.
An issue is a matter in dispute, an edition of a publication, or an act of putting something out. All of these come from the original meaning of an exit or outflow: Old French *issir*, to go out. A magazine issue goes out to readers, shares are issued, water issues from a spring, and a legal issue is what emerges from a dispute. In law, *issue* also means a person's children, meaning those who have issued from them.
- A disputed matter. *A key issue.*
- An edition. *The June issue.*
- To distribute. *Issue the tickets.*
- Offspring, in law. *Died without issue.*
- To flow out. *Water issued from the rock.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | issue | A live issue. |
| Plural | issues | Several issues. |
| Verb | issue | Issue a statement. |
| Past | issued | Issued yesterday. |
| Old French | issir | To go out. |
- The committee debated the issue.Topic.
- The next issue appears in June.Publishing.
- He died without issue.Legal: no children.
Issue in different contexts
- Publishing — one edition of a periodical
- Finance — shares or bonds put on the market
- Law — a person's descendants
- Software — a reported problem or task
- Everyday — a problem, as in having issues with something
Old French *issue*, an exit or outcome, from *issir*, to go out, from Latin *exire*, from *ex-* plus *ire*, to go.
What does died without issue mean?
A legal phrase meaning the person left no direct descendants.
Why does issue mean an edition?
Because it is what goes out to readers. All the senses derive from the idea of something issuing forth.