Where does “indict” come from?
Indict comes from Middle English enditen, from Old French enditer, from Late Latin indicto, from Latin indictus, the past participle of indicere meaning to proclaim or declare, formed from the prefix in- and dicere meaning to say.
indict (English): To accuse of wrongdoing; charge; To make a formal...
Definitions
- To accuse of wrongdoing; charge; To make a formal...
Ancestry of “indict”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | enditen | — |
| 2 | Old French | enditer | Alternative form of enditier |
| 3 | Late Latin | indicto | dative masculine singular of indictus; dative... |
| 4 | Latin | indictus | declared, proclaimed, published, announced,... |
| 5 | Latin | dictus | said, uttered; mentioned, spoken, having been... |
| 6 | Latin | dīcō | to say, talk, speak, utter, mention |
| 7 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 8 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 9 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 10 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 11 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 12 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 13 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 14 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |