Etymograph

English

emote

Emote comes from Middle French emotion, from esmouvoir ‘to move’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēmoveō‘to move out or away, remove’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*exmovērereconstructed
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400esmovoir‘to move’
  8. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600esmouvoir‘to move’
  9. Middle French, derivedc. 1400–1600emotion
  10. English1500–presentemotion
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1993emote

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)ewh₁-‘to move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*m(y)owh₁éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moweō‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmoveō‘to move, stir, set in motion’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēmoveō‘to move out or away, remove’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*exmovērereconstructed
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400esmovoir‘to move’
  8. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600esmouvoir‘to move’
  9. Middle French, derivedc. 1400–1600emotion
  10. English1500–presentemotion
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1993emote

Earliest quotation: 1993, Lynn Hirschberg, Brat on a Hot Tin Roof: “She doesn't smile much; she doesn't emote. Shannen is…”

The story

The verb is a back-formation from emotion.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’

motion, remover, 83 more

through Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

movement, mover, 84 more

through Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’

move, momentum, automobile, automotive, promoter, immobile, 86 more

through Latin moveō ‘to move, stir, set in motion’

mobile, auto, remove, promotion, motor, promote, mobility, motive, mobilization, mobilize, motivate, removable, motif, mobilisation, mobilise, motility, motile, 65 more

through Middle French emotion

emotion, 6 more

through English emotion

emotional, emotionless, 6 more

Today it means

verb To display or express (emotions, mental states, etc.) openly, particularly while acting, and especially in an excessive manner.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- / emote

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