English
consume
Consume comes from Latin cōnsūmō ‘to take wholly or completely’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁em-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take, distribute’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emō‘to take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemō‘to buy, take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmō‘take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsūmō‘to take wholly or completely’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400consumer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500consumen
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599consume
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take, distribute’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emō‘to take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemō‘to buy, take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmō‘take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsūmō‘to take wholly or completely’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400consumer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500consumen
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599consume
Earliest quotation: 1598–1599, Much Adoe about Nothing: “Therefore, let Benedick, like cover'd fire, / Consume away…”
The story
From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (‘with, together’) + sūmō (‘take; consume’), from sub- + emō (‘to buy, take’), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (‘to take, distribute’), possibly related to the root *nem- (‘to take or give one's due’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take, distribute’
exempt, pomade, pommel, 58 more
through Proto-Italic *emō ‘to take’
through Latin emō ‘to buy, take’
premium, redemption, redeem, exemption, ransom, preemption, emptor, 44 more
through Latin sūmō ‘take’
assume, assumption, resume, sumptuous, résumé, 35 more
through Latin cōnsūmō ‘to take wholly or completely’
Today it means
verb To use up.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- / consume