English
catch
Catch comes from Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-Norman cachier, a variant of Old French chacier, from Late Latin captiō, from Latin captō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘to take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaptō‘to try to catch’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcaptiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chacier
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cachier
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cacchen
- Englishearliest quotation 1590catch
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘to take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaptō‘to try to catch’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcaptiō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chacier
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cachier
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cacchen
- Englishearliest quotation 1590catch
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book III, Canto II: “Her aged Nourse, whose name was Glaucè hight, /…”
The story
Via PIE cognate with have.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, capital, behavior, captain, cash, heavily, capacity, chapter, escape, capable, achieve, cable, recipe, reception, capture, perception, chase, haven, occupation, behave, cape, recipient, chef, cabin, hawk, chapel, capitol, susceptible, deception, cattle, anticipation, capita, anticipate, precipitation, 177 more
through Middle English cacchen ‘to catch’
Today it means
noun The act of seizing or capturing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin capiō / catch