English
quote
Quote comes from Old French coter, from Medieval Latin quotō ‘to number chapters’, from Latin quotus ‘which in number’, from quot ‘how many’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷís‘who, what’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷóti‘how many?’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷotreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquot‘how many’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquotus‘which’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500quotō‘to distinguish by numbers’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quoten
- Englishearliest quotation 1598quote
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷís‘who, what’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷóti‘how many?’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷotreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquot‘how many’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquotus‘which’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500quotō‘to distinguish by numbers’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500quoten
- Englishearliest quotation 1598quote
Earliest quotation: 1598, John Marston, Satyre IV: “But must our moderne Critticks envious eye Seeme thus…”
The story
The sense developed via “to give as a reference, to cite as an authority” to “to copy out exact words” (since 1680); the business sense “to state the price of a commodity” (1866) revives the etymological meaning. The noun, in the sense of “quotation,” is attested from 1885; see also usage note, below.
Linked words
through Latin quot ‘how many’
Today it means
noun A statement attributed to a person; a quotation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷís / quote