English
abridge
Abridge comes from Middle English abreggen ‘curtail, lessen’, from Old French abregier ‘to shorten’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰus‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*breɣʷis‘short, small’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrevis‘short, small, little, narrow’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbreviō‘to shorten, abbreviate, abridge’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbrevioas abbreviō‘make brief’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abregier‘to shorten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500abreggen‘curtail, lessen’
- Englishearliest quotation 1639abridge
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰus‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*breɣʷis‘short, small’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrevis‘short, small, little, narrow’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbreviō‘to shorten, abbreviate, abridge’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbrevioas abbreviō‘make brief’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abregier‘to shorten’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500abreggen‘curtail, lessen’
- Englishearliest quotation 1639abridge
Earliest quotation: 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre: “She retired her self to Sebaste, and abridged her…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- ‘short’
through Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus ‘short’
merry, brass, bra, bracelet, brace, pretzel, brachial, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *breɣʷis ‘short, small’
through Latin brevis ‘short, small, little, narrow’
brief, brevity, brevet, breve, breviary, 11 more
through Late Latin abbrevio ‘make brief’
Today it means
verb To deprive; to cut off.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- / abridge