aid

Where does the word "aid" come from? It comes from Latin adjutare, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Aid’s story begins in Latin: adjutare meant “to help.” A frequentative of 'adjuvare', to help, the root of 'adjutant'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as aidier. Also a feudal payment to a lord. It reached English by 1400s as aid. First recorded in 1419 in the City of London's Guildhall letter-books; 'aid' as foreign assistance dates from the 1900s. Today, aid means help or support.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient adjutare "to help", a frequentative of 'adjuvare', to help, the root of 'adjutant'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval aidier "to help", also a feudal payment to a lord.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s aid "help", first recorded in 1419 in the City of London's Guildhall letter-books; 'aid' as foreign assistance dates from the 1900s.