Etymology Map
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Attain

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to succeed in achieving

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
attingere
Latin · ancient
"to touch, reach"
'ad-' plus 'tangere', to touch
2
Stage 2 of 3
ataindre
Old French · medieval
"to reach"
also gave legal 'attainder', loss of rights for treason
3
Stage 3 of 3
attain
English · 1300s
"to reach"
'attainable' dates from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Attain’s story begins in Latin: attingere meant “to touch, reach.” 'ad-' plus 'tangere', to touch. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as ataindre. Also gave legal 'attainder', loss of rights for treason. It reached English by 1300s as attain. 'attainable' dates from the 1600s. Today, attain means to succeed in achieving.