Etymograph

English

exemplify

Exemplify comes from Latin exemplum ‘example’, and goes back to eximō ‘to take out, take away’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out, take away’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘example’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500exemplificō
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600exemplifier
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500exemplifien
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1893exemplify

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out, take away’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘example’
  3. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500exemplificō
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600exemplifier
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500exemplifien
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1893exemplify

Earliest quotation: 1893, James Compton Burnett, The Difficulties: “This slowness is very detrimental to its adoption: I…”

Linked words

through Latin eximō ‘to take out, take away’

exemption, 6 more

through Latin exemplum ‘example’

example, sample, 4 more

Today it means

verb To show or illustrate by example.

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

Etymograph / Latin eximō / exemplify

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