English
ammo
Ammo comes from Latin mūniō ‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*móynireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moinireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoene‘wall, fortification’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūniō‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnitiōnem
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600munition
- Middle French, derivedc. 1400–1600amunition
- English1500–presentammunition
- Englishearliest quotation 1917ammo
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*móynireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moinireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoene‘wall, fortification’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūniō‘to provide with defensive works, fortify’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūnitiōnem
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600munition
- Middle French, derivedc. 1400–1600amunition
- English1500–presentammunition
- Englishearliest quotation 1917ammo
Earliest quotation: 1917, Arthur Guy Empey, Lewis Gun: “Under fire when this magazine is emptied you shout…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
mean, community, met, minister, minute, commission, ministry, minor, common, mess, communication, meal, min, menu, mutual, compromise, missile, mere, communist, commit, communicate, minus, dismiss, immune, premise, municipality, immunity, communism, mural, mayhem, communal, noodle, intermittent, communion, mole, remuneration, mite, omit, commune, moor, 77 more
through Proto-Indo-European *móyni
through Latin mūnitiōnem
Today it means
noun Ammunition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / ammo