Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “express” come from?

Express comes from French exprès, derived from Latin ex- (out) combined with a root ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European per-.

express (English): Moving or operating quickly, as a train not...

Definitions

  1. Moving or operating quickly, as a train not...

Ancestry of “express”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchexprèsexpress; express , special delivery; on purpose,...
2Latinexpressussqueezed; pressed ; expressed; imitated, copied
3Latinexprimeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
4Latinex-out, away; throughout; thoroughly
5LatineThe name of the letter "E"; out of, from
6LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
7Latincommūnicō—
8Latincommūnis—
9Old Latincom(m)oinis—
10Proto-Italickommoinis—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
13Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
14Middle Englishkyt—
15Germankitt—
16Old High Germankuti—
17Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
18Proto-Germanickweduzresin
19Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
20Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “express”

  • expressly
  • inexpressible
  • inexpressibly
  • expressway
  • expressible
  • exprest
  • expressman
  • overexpress
  • inexpressibles
  • expresseth
  • expresser
  • expressage
  • expressor
  • unexpressible
  • coexpress
  • reexpress
  • expressable
  • inexpressable
  • overexpressor
  • expressness
  • expressest
  • expressibly
  • misexpress
  • nonexpressor
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →