Etymograph

English

example

Example comes from Latin exemplum ‘sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation,…’, and goes back to eximō ‘to take out, take away’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘sample’literally ‘what is taken out’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400example
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘sample’literally ‘what is taken out’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400example
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1596, William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King Iohn: “Such temperate order in ſo fierce a cauſe, /…”

The story

From Middle English example, exaumple, from Old French example, essaumple, from Latin exemplum (“sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation, etc.”, literally “what is taken out”); see exempt.

Linked words

through Latin eximō ‘to take out, take away’

exemption, 4 more

through Latin exemplum ‘sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation,…’

sample, exemplary, exemplify, exemplar, 2 more

Today it means

noun Something that is representative of all such things in a group.

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

Etymograph / Latin eximō / example

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