English
indite
Indite comes from Late Latin indictāre, and goes back to Latin dictō ‘to declare’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictōas dictare‘to declare’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEindictāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enditer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enditen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1595indite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictōas dictare‘to declare’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEindictāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enditer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enditen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1595indite
Earliest quotation: c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, London: […] Thomas Creede: “She vvill endite him to ſome ſupper.”
Linked words
through Latin dictō ‘to declare’
dictator, dictate, ditty, 6 more
through Late Latin indictāre
through Middle English enditen
Today it means
verb To physically make (letters and words) on a writing surface; to inscribe.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin dictō / indite