audit

Where does the word "audit" come from? It comes from Latin auditus, passing through Anglo-French before entering English (1400s).

Audit’s story begins in Latin: auditus meant “a hearing.” From 'audire', to hear: accounts were read aloud to be checked. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Anglo-French as audit. Used for hearing and checking accounts read aloud. It reached English by 1400s as audit. The university sense 'audit a class' is American, from the 1900s. Today, audit means an official inspection of accounts.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient auditus "a hearing", from 'audire', to hear: accounts were read aloud to be checked.
2. Stage 2 · Anglo-French · medieval audit "hearing", used for hearing and checking accounts read aloud.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s audit "examination of accounts", the university sense 'audit a class' is American, from the 1900s.