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Today it means

attach

to fasten; to join

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Where does the word "attach" come from? It comes from Frankish stakka, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

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Where does the word "attach" come from? It comes from Frankish stakka, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Attach’s story begins in Frankish: stakka meant “stake.” A Frankish word related to 'stake'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as atachier. Used in law of seizing a person or goods by legal order. It reached English by 1300s as attach. 'attached' in the emotional sense dates from the 1700s. Today, attach means to fasten; to join.

  1. Stage 1 · Frankish · ancient stakka "stake", a Frankish word related to 'stake'.
  2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval atachier "to fasten", used in law of seizing a person or goods by legal order.
  3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s attach "to seize by law", 'attached' in the emotional sense dates from the 1700s.

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