Etymology Map
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Escalate

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to increase rapidly in intensity

Where does the word "escalate" come from? It comes from Latin scala, adopted directly into English (1920s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
scala
Latin · ancient
"ladder"
the root of 'scale'
2
Stage 2 of 2
escalate
English · 1920s
"to ride an escalator"
back-formed from 'escalator', a 1900 trade name; the sense 'intensify' dates from the 1950s Cold War
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Escalate’s story begins in Latin: scala meant “ladder.” The root of 'scale'. It reached English by 1920s as escalate. Back-formed from 'escalator', a 1900 trade name; the sense 'intensify' dates from the 1950s Cold War. Today, escalate means to increase rapidly in intensity.