Etymology Map
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Amend

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to make minor changes to

Where does the word "amend" come from? It comes from Latin emendare, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
emendare
Latin · ancient
"to free from fault"
'ex-' plus 'menda', fault
2
Stage 2 of 3
amender
Old French · medieval
"to correct"
the 'e' became 'a' in French
3
Stage 3 of 3
amend
English · 1200s
"to correct"
constitutional 'amendments' date from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Amend’s story begins in Latin: emendare meant “to free from fault.” 'ex-' plus 'menda', fault. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as amender. The 'e' became 'a' in French. It reached English by 1200s as amend. Constitutional 'amendments' date from the 1700s. Today, amend means to make minor changes to.