Etymograph

English

summons

Summons comes from Middle English somouns ‘order or command to do something’, from Vulgar Latin summoneō ‘to summon’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-root as named
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEsummoneōas summonēre‘to summon’
  3. Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*summonsareconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sumunce
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500somouns‘order or command to do something’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1630summons

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-root as named
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEsummoneōas summonēre‘to summon’
  3. Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*summonsareconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400sumunce
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500somouns‘order or command to do something’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1630summons

Earliest quotation: 1630, John Hayward: “He sent to summon the seditious, and to offer…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *men-

music, mind, money, amount, mental, remain, comment, mouth, permanent, mountain, mention, museum, auto, min, mount, monitor, mentor, mint, monster, maya, dementia, monetary, demonstration, amnesty, muse, eminent, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, imminent, mania, muster, monk, mosaic, monument, amnesia, manic, 127 more

Today it means

noun A call to do something, especially to come.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / summons

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