English
absolute
Absolute comes from Latin absolūtus ‘unconditional’, and goes back to absolvō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsolvō‘loosen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsolūtus‘unconditional’perfect passive participle of absolvō
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600absolut
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1599absolute
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsolvō‘loosen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsolūtus‘unconditional’perfect passive participle of absolvō
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600absolut
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1599absolute
Earliest quotation: 1599, William Shakespeare: “Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and…”
A compound of ab ‘away’ + solvo ‘to loose’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘off, away’
Proto-Italic *ap ‘from, off, away’
Latin ab ‘away’
Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- ‘to cut off, release’
Proto-Indo-European *luh₁éti
Proto-Italic [Term?]
Latin luō ‘to untie, set free, separate’
Latin solvo ‘to loose’
first attested First attested around 1380 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested around 1380. Influenced in part by Old French absolu.
Every English word from Latin absolvō
Today it means
adj Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin absolvō / absolute