Etymograph

English

usury

Usury comes from Latin ūsūra ‘lending at interest, usury’, from ūsus ‘use’, and ultimately from ūtī.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūtī‘to use’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsus‘use’stem of ūtī
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsūra‘lending at interest, usury’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsūria
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400usurie
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘the lending of money in order to make interest’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588usury

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEūtī‘to use’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsus‘use’stem of ūtī
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsūra‘lending at interest, usury’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEūsūria
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400usurie
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘the lending of money in order to make interest’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588usury

Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Then will we march to all thoſe Indian Mines,…”

Linked words

through Latin ūtī ‘to use’

utility, utilize, utilise

through Latin ūsus ‘use’

use, usual, useless, 1 more

Today it means

noun An exorbitant rate of interest, in excess of any legal rates or at least immorally.

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

Etymograph / Latin ūtī / usury

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