Etymograph

English

sample

Sample comes from Middle English saumple ‘exemplar, illustration, demonstration’, from Old French essample ‘example’, and ultimately from Latin eximō ‘to take out, take away’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘a sample’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400essample‘example’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saumple‘exemplar’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1600sample

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeximō‘to take out’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexemplum‘a sample’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400essample‘example’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saumple‘exemplar’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1600sample

Earliest quotation: 1600, Torquato Tasso, Godfrey of Bulloigne: “Thus he concludes, and euery hardie knight / His…”

Linked words

through Latin eximō ‘to take out, take away’

exemption, 4 more

through Latin exemplum ‘a sample, example’

example, exemplary, exemplify, exemplar, 2 more

Today it means

noun A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin eximō / sample

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