English
seduce
Seduce comes from Latin sēdūcō ‘to lead apart or astray’, from Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’, and ultimately from *dewk-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘to lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdūcō‘to lead apart or astray’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726seduce
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō‘to lead’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdūcō‘to lead apart or astray’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726seduce
Earliest quotation: 1726, Jonathan Swift, The Author’s Oeconomy and Happy Life among the Houyhnhnms. [: “[…] they alledged, That becauſe I had ſome Rudiments…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to draw, pull’
team, touch, tie, toy, introduce, tow, tying, tighten, tug, duchess, tuck, herzog, tether, taut, untie, tew, teem, induct, 95 more
through Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’
unproductive, productively, abductor, preproduction, 94 more
through Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’
productive, productivity, producer, reproduction, conductor, reproduce, deduction, byproduct, conduction, inductive, subduction, transduction, deduct, abduct, reductive, overproduction, ductile, inductor, adductor, dukedom, adduct, 98 more
through Latin dūcō ‘to lead’
production, education, product, introduction, duke, produce, conduct, reduction, reduce, dolphin, conn, induction, educate, douche, duct, doge, educator, conducive, induce, subdue, cond, duchy, transducer, redux, redoubt, duc, dux, ducal, 119 more
Today it means
verb To beguile or lure (someone) away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct; to lead astray.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dewk- / seduce