English
summon
Summon comes from Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’, and goes back to *men-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsummonēre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sumundre
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400somoundre
- Englishearliest quotation 1866summon
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*monéyeti‘to cause to think, make think’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsummonēre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sumundre
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400somoundre
- Englishearliest quotation 1866summon
Earliest quotation: 1866, Pierre Bigandet, The Life or Legend of Gaudama: “For securing the attainment of what he considered to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
music, mind, money, amount, mental, remain, comment, permanent, mouth, mountain, mention, auto, museum, min, mount, mentor, mint, maya, dementia, monetary, amnesty, muse, eminent, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, imminent, mania, amnesia, mosaic, monk, manic, remnant, monastery, eminence, monte, mantis, 116 more
through Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti ‘to cause to think, make think’
monster, monitor, demonstration, muster, monument, monstrous, monstrosity, minter, demonstrative, admonition, admonish, 14 more
Another origin of summon
- English1500–presentsummons‘notice summoning someone to appear in court’
- Malaymodernsaman‘fine, financial penalty’
- Englishtodaysummon
This sense re-emerged in English as summon likely due to the erroneous belief that the original singular English word summons is plural.
Today it means
verb To call people together; to convene; to convoke.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / summon