Where does “define” come from?
Define comes from Middle English definen, from Old French definer and definir, from Latin definio, composed of de and finis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ-.
define (English): To determine with precision; to mark out with...
Definitions
- To determine with precision; to mark out with...
Ancestry of “define”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | definen | — |
| 2 | Old French | definer | to finish; to end |
| 3 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 4 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 5 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 6 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 7 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |