English
Print comes from Middle English *printen, a shortened form of emprinten ‘to imprint’, from Latin imprimō ‘to press into’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimō‘to press into, imprint’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500emprinten‘to impress, imprint’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500*printenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1547print
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimprimō‘to press into, imprint’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500emprinten‘to impress, imprint’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500*printenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1547print
Earliest quotation: c. 1547, ?, Henry Howard: “A look will print a thought that never may…”
Every English word from Latin imprimō
Today it means
adj Of, relating to, or writing for printed publications.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin imprimō / print