abstract

Where does the word "abstract" come from? It comes from Latin abstrahere, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Abstract’s story begins in Latin: abstrahere meant “to draw away.” To draw away, from abs- (away) and trahere (to draw). It reached English by 1400s as abstract. First recorded before 1398 in John Trevisa's translation of the Latin encyclopedia 'De proprietatibus rerum'. Today, abstract means existing as a concept or idea rather than a concrete, physical thing.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient abstrahere "to draw away", to draw away, from abs- (away) and trahere (to draw).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s abstract "existing as an idea rather than a physical thing", first recorded before 1398 in John Trevisa's translation of the Latin encyclopedia 'De proprietatibus rerum'.