Etymology Map
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Accelerate

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to go faster

Where does the word "accelerate" come from? It comes from Latin accelerare, adopted directly into English (1520s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
accelerare
Latin · ancient
"to hasten"
'ad-' plus 'celer', swift, the root of 'celerity'
2
Stage 2 of 2
accelerate
English · 1520s
"to hasten"
first recorded before 1535 in the humanist Thomas More, taken directly from Latin; car 'accelerators' date from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Accelerate’s story begins in Latin: accelerare meant “to hasten.” 'ad-' plus 'celer', swift, the root of 'celerity'. It reached English by 1520s as accelerate. First recorded before 1535 in the humanist Thomas More, taken directly from Latin; car 'accelerators' date from the 1900s. Today, accelerate means to go faster.