Etymology Map
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Audit

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means an official inspection of accounts

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

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

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.