Where does “solicit” come from?
Solicit comes from Middle English solliciten, from Old French soliciter, from Latin sollicitare, derived from the adjective sollicitus meaning "troubled" or "anxious," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "whole" and "to move."
solicit (English): To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or...
Definitions
- To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or...
Ancestry of “solicit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | soliciten | — |
| 2 | Old French | soliciter | — |
| 3 | Latin | sollicitō | to disturb, disquiet, stir, agitate, distress, harass, vex, make anxious |
| 4 | Latin | sollicitus | Thoroughly moved, agitated or disturbed;... |
| 5 | Latin | sollus | whole, entire, unbroken |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | solnos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sol(h₂)nós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂- | whole |