agile

Where does the word "agile" come from? It comes from Latin agilis, passing through French before entering English (1580s).

Agile’s story begins in Latin: agilis meant “nimble.” From 'agere', to do or drive. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in French as agile. French 'agile' is attested from the 1300s; English took the noun 'agility' long before the adjective, in the early 1400s. It reached English by 1580s as agile. 'agile' software methods date from 2001. Today, agile means able to move quickly and easily.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient agilis "nimble", from 'agere', to do or drive.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1400s agile "quick, nimble", French 'agile' is attested from the 1300s; English took the noun 'agility' long before the adjective, in the early 1400s.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1580s agile "nimble", 'agile' software methods date from 2001.