English
ignite
Ignite comes from Latin ignītus ‘ignited, set on fire’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁n̥gʷnisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEignis‘fire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEignire‘to set on fire, ignite’next step skipped: Latin igniō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEignītus‘ignited, set on fire’
- Englishearliest quotation 1980ignite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁n̥gʷnisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEignis‘fire’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEignire‘to set on fire, ignite’next step skipped: Latin igniō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEignītus‘ignited, set on fire’
- Englishearliest quotation 1980ignite
Earliest quotation: 1980, Althea, Teresa Trull and Julie Homi with the Harp Band [review]: “Their blend of concert harp, vibes, bass and Latin…”
Linked words
through Latin ignis ‘fire’
Today it means
verb To set fire to (something), to light (something)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis / ignite