English
redeem
Redeem comes from Middle English redemen ‘to redeem or liberate’, from Latin redimō ‘release’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emō‘to take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemō‘buy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEredimō‘release’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400redimer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500redemen‘to redeem or liberate’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588redeem
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁émetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*emō‘to take’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEemō‘buy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEredimō‘release’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400redimer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500redemen‘to redeem or liberate’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588redeem
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Your Highneſſe needs not doubt but in ſhort time,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’
exempt, pommel, pomade, 56 more
through Proto-Italic *emō ‘to take’
assume, presume, sumptuous, 47 more
through Latin emō ‘buy’
consumer, assumption, premium, consume, resume, exemption, résumé, consumable, overconsumption, emptor, preemption, 42 more
through Latin redimō ‘release’
Today it means
verb To recover ownership of something by buying it back.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- / redeem