assign

Where does the word "assign" come from? It comes from Latin assignare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Assign’s story begins in Latin: assignare meant “to mark out.” 'ad-' plus 'signare', to mark, from 'signum', sign. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as assigner. A legal term for transferring property. It reached English by 1300s as assign. School 'assignments' date from the 1800s. Today, assign means to allocate a task or duty.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient assignare "to mark out", 'ad-' plus 'signare', to mark, from 'signum', sign.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval assigner "to allot", a legal term for transferring property.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s assign "to allot", school 'assignments' date from the 1800s.