English
proclaim
Proclaim comes from Old French proclamer ‘to proclaim’, from Latin clāmō ‘to shout, cry out’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to shout’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclāmō‘to shout, cry out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōclāmō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400proclamer‘to proclaim’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proclamen
- Englishearliest quotation 1824proclaim
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to shout’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclāmō‘to shout, cry out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōclāmō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400proclamer‘to proclaim’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500proclamen
- Englishearliest quotation 1824proclaim
Earliest quotation: 1824, "MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SE: “Were those baronies proclaimed at the time you were…”
The story
Spelling altered by influence of claim, from the same Latin source (clāmō).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to shout’
low, hell, clear, classic, calendar, haul, reconciliation, declare, clarity, reconcile, claire, clarification, classify, squeal, clarinet, reclaim, irreconcilable, clarion, claret, ecclesiastic, conciliar, ecclesial, clas, 33 more
through Latin clāmō ‘to shout, cry out’
reclamation, exclamation, acclaim, claimant, clamour, clamor, exclaim, 8 more
Today it means
verb To announce or declare.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- / proclaim