Etymology Map
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Aid

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means help or support

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

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

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.