emancipate

Where does the word "emancipate" come from? It comes from Latin manus, passing through Latin before entering English (1620s).

Emancipate’s story begins in Latin: manus meant “hand.” Hand, combined with capere (to take) to form mancipium (formal ownership). Within Latin, it grew into emancipare by ancient. To release from ownership, from ex- (out) and mancipium (ownership). It reached English by 1620s as emancipate. Settled as the English word for freeing someone from legal, social, or political restriction. Today, emancipate means to free someone from legal, social, or political restriction, especially slavery.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient manus "hand", hand, combined with capere (to take) to form mancipium (formal ownership).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient emancipare "to release from ownership", to release from ownership, from ex- (out) and mancipium (ownership).
3. Stage 3 · English · 1620s emancipate "to free someone from legal, social, or political restriction", settled as the English word for freeing someone from legal, social, or political restriction.