English
emulate
Emulate comes from Latin aemulātus, from aemulor ‘to rival, emulate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- ‘to imitate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eym-‘to imitate’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aimos‘imitation’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulus‘rival, emulator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulor‘to rival, emulate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulātusperfect active participle of aemulor
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602emulate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eym-‘to imitate’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*aimos‘imitation’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulus‘rival, emulator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulor‘to rival, emulate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaemulātusperfect active participle of aemulor
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602emulate
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “That can I, At leaſt the whiſper goes ſo…”
first attested First attested in 1586 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1586; borrowed from Latin aemulātus, perfect active participle of Latin aemulor (‘to rival, emulate’), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- ‘to imitate’
image, imagine, imagination, imaginary, imitation, imitate, imago, imitator, 7 more
Today it means
verb To attempt to equal or be the same as.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- / emulate