Etymograph

English

absorb

Absorb comes from Middle French absorber, from Latin absorbeō ‘swallow up’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- ‘to sip’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*srebʰ-‘to sip’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*srobʰéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sorβeōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsorbeō‘suck in, swallow’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorbeō‘swallow up’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400assorbir
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600absorber
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1684-1690absorb

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*srebʰ-‘to sip’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*srobʰéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sorβeōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsorbeō‘suck in, swallow’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorbeō‘swallow up’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400assorbir
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600absorber
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1684-1690absorb

Earliest quotation: 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet: “to be absorpt, or swallowed up, in a lake…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- ‘to sip’

slurp, 23 more

through Latin sorbeō ‘suck in, swallow’

sorption, 23 more

through Latin absorbeō ‘swallow up’

malabsorption, reabsorption, 17 more

Today it means

verb To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- / absorb

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