English
consumer
Consumer comes from Latin cōnsūmō ‘to take wholly or completely’, from emō ‘to buy, purchase’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmō‘to take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsūmō‘to take wholly or completely’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400consumer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500consumen
- English1500–presentconsume
- Englishearliest quotation 2006consumer
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsūmō‘to take’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsūmō‘to take wholly or completely’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400consumer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500consumen
- English1500–presentconsume
- Englishearliest quotation 2006consumer
Earliest quotation: 2006, Edwin Black: “But through the oligopoly, charcoal fuel proliferated throughout London's…”
A compound of consume + -er
Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take, distribute’
…
Latin sūmō ‘take’
Latin cōnsūmō ‘to take wholly or completely’
Old French consumer
Middle English consumen
English consume
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’
exempt, pomade, pommel, 58 more
through Proto-Italic *emō ‘to take’
through Latin emō ‘to buy, purchase’
premium, redemption, redeem, exemption, ransom, preemption, emptor, 44 more
through Latin sūmō ‘to take, take up, catch, assume, seize, claim,…’
assume, assumption, resume, sumptuous, résumé, 35 more
through Latin cōnsūmō ‘to take wholly or completely’
Today it means
noun One who, or that which, consumes.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- / consumer