English
involve
Involve comes from Middle English involven ‘to cloud’, from Latin involvō ‘to roll to or upon something’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to turn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘to roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvolvō‘to roll to or upon something’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvolverepresent active infinitive of involvō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400involver
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500involven‘to cloud’
- Englishearliest quotation 1531involve
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to turn’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘to roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvolvō‘to roll to or upon something’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvolverepresent active infinitive of involvō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400involver
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500involven‘to cloud’
- Englishearliest quotation 1531involve
Earliest quotation: 1531, Thomas Elyot, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library): “Also that reuerende studie [of law] is inuolued in…”
The story
From Late Middle English involven (‘to cloud; to encumber; to envelop, surround; to ponder (something); (reflexive) to concern (oneself) with something’) [and other forms], borrowed from Old French involver, envoudre, or from its etymon Latin involvere, the present active infinitive of Latin involvō (‘to roll to or upon something; to roll about; to coil or curl up; to cover; to envelop, wrap up; to overwhelm’), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + volvō (‘to roll; to tumble’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (‘to turn; to wind (turn coils)’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to turn’
well, walk, wall, valve, vulgar, waltz, helix, divulge, vagrant, wale, gauche, vulgate, iliac, ilium, valise, valvular, 73 more
through Proto-Italic *wolwō
devolution, revolve, devolve, convolutional, 41 more
through Latin volvō ‘to roll’
volume, revolution, evolution, vault, revolt, evolve, convoluted, vulva, voluminous, convolution, voluble, 45 more
Today it means
verb To have (something) as a component or a related part; to comprise, to include.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welH- / involve