Etymology Map
Back to all words

Cite

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to quote as evidence

Where does the word "cite" come from? It comes from Latin citare, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
citare
Latin · ancient
"to summon"
a frequentative of 'ciere', to set in motion
2
Stage 2 of 3
citer
Old French · medieval
"to summon"
a legal verb for summoning someone before a church court
3
Stage 3 of 3
cite
English · 1400s
"to summon"
'cite' as quoting a source dates from the 1500s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Cite’s story begins in Latin: citare meant “to summon.” A frequentative of 'ciere', to set in motion. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as citer. A legal verb for summoning someone before a church court. It reached English by 1400s as cite. 'cite' as quoting a source dates from the 1500s. Today, cite means to quote as evidence.