English
embargo
Embargo comes from Spanish embargar ‘to arrest’, from Latin *imbarricāre ‘to bar’, and ultimately from Vulgar Latin *barra.
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*barra‘bar, barrier’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*imbarricāre‘to bar’reconstructed
- Spanishc. 1500–presentembargar‘to arrest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842embargo
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*barra‘bar, barrier’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*imbarricāre‘to bar’reconstructed
- Spanishc. 1500–presentembargar‘to arrest’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842embargo
Earliest quotation: 1842, anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizab, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “They were delighted with the idea of their mamma…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
different, offer, difference, birth, reference, transfer, prefer, broad, bread, relative, suffer, bear, translation, relation, fortune, relate, burden, extraordinary, differ, referendum, frustration, bore, translate, fury, breeze, referee, fertility, borne, fertile, barn, berth, broom, phosphate, baron, extravagant, bark, fret, phosphorus, euphoria, defer, 156 more
through Vulgar Latin *barra ‘bar, barrier’
Today it means
noun An order by the government prohibiting ships from leaving port.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Vulgar Latin *barra / embargo