English
article
Article comes from Middle English article, from Old French article ‘joint’, from Latin articulus ‘a joint’, from artus, ultimately from PIE *h₂er-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂er-‘to join’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂értus‘that which is fit together’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEartus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEarticulus‘a joint’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400article‘joint’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1634same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂er-‘to join’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂értus‘that which is fit together’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEartus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEarticulus‘a joint’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400article‘joint’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1634same form
Earliest quotation: 1634, William Habington: “each article of time”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- ‘to join, fit (together)’
order, reason, ready, rate, army, art, arm, ordinary, artist, ratio, alarm, harmony, coordinate, coordination, armor, subordinate, anarchy, ornament, ordination, ornate, arthritis, adorn, harmonious, harmonic, arithmetic, ordinate, armament, inert, aristocratic, ordinator, ordinal, artisan, armadillo, rime, harmonize, ordain, ordo, armature, rta, archon, 79 more
through Latin articulus ‘a joint, limb, member, part, division, the…’
Today it means
noun A piece of nonfiction writing such as a story, report, opinion piece, or entry in a newspaper, magazine, journal, encyclopedia, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- / article