Etymology Map
Back to all words

Employ

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to give work to; to use

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
implicare
Latin · ancient
"to involve, enfold"
'in-' plus 'plicare', to fold
2
Stage 2 of 3
emploier
Old French · medieval
"to use"
the same root gives 'imply' and 'implicate'
3
Stage 3 of 3
employ
English · 1400s
"to use"
'employee' dates from the 1800s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Employ’s story begins in Latin: implicare meant “to involve, enfold.” 'in-' plus 'plicare', to fold. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as emploier. The same root gives 'imply' and 'implicate'. It reached English by 1400s as employ. 'employee' dates from the 1800s. Today, employ means to give work to; to use.