detail

Where does the word "detail" come from? It comes from Late Latin taliare, passing through Old French before entering English (1600s).

Detail’s story begins in Late Latin: taliare meant “to cut.” The same root as 'tailor'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as detail. 'de-' plus 'taillier', to cut: dividing into small parts. It reached English by 1600s as detail. Military 'details', small groups assigned a task, came in the 1700s. Today, detail means an individual feature or fact.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient taliare "to cut", the same root as 'tailor'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval detail "a cutting into pieces", 'de-' plus 'taillier', to cut: dividing into small parts.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s detail "a small part", military 'details', small groups assigned a task, came in the 1700s.