Where does “explain” come from?

Explain comes from Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explano meaning to flatten or make clear, formed from the prefix ex- and Ancient Greek πλάνος relating to wandering or error.

explain (English): To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to...

Definitions

  1. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to...

Ancestry of “explain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishexplanen—
2Old Frenchexplaner—
3Latinexplanōto flatten or spread out
4Latinplanō—
5Latinplānuslevel, flat, even
6Ancient Greekπλάνοςwandering
7Ancient Greekπλανάωto make to wander, lead wandering about; to lead...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpl-néh₂-ti—

Words derived from “explain”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pl-néh₂-ti →Every word from Ancient Greek πλανάω →Every word from Ancient Greek πλάνος →