English
vex
Vex comes from Middle English vexen ‘to afflict’, and goes back to Latin vexō ‘to shake or jolt violently’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvexō‘to shake or jolt violently’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vexer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vexen‘to afflict’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526vex
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvexō‘to shake or jolt violently’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vexer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vexen‘to afflict’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526vex
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “In that tyme Herode the kynge layed hondes on…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- ‘to bring’
way, always, via, vehicle, wave, reveal, halfway, weigh, wagon, wee, vogue, vector, wedge, vein, veil, headway, wag, wonky, eunuch, venous, wey, waw, wain, invective, vena, velar, 39 more
through Middle English vexen ‘to afflict’
Today it means
verb To annoy, irritate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin vexō / vex