Etymology Map
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Archive

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a collection of historical records

Where does the word "archive" come from? It comes from Greek arkheia, passing through French before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
arkheia
Greek · ancient
"public records"
Greek, from 'arkhē', government
2
Stage 2 of 3
archif
French · 1600s
"records"
came via Latin 'archivum'
3
Stage 3 of 3
archive
English · 1600s
"record office"
computer 'archives' date from the 1960s
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Read the full story

Archive’s story begins in Greek: arkheia meant “public records.” Greek, from 'arkhē', government. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as archif. Came via Latin 'archivum'. It reached English by 1600s as archive. Computer 'archives' date from the 1960s. Today, archive means a collection of historical records.