etch

Where does the word "etch" come from? It comes from German ätzen, passing through Dutch before entering English (1630s).

Etch’s story begins in German: ätzen meant “to corrode, cause to eat.” A causative of 'essen', to eat: literally 'to make something eat', as acid eats metal. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Dutch as etsen. Dutch printmakers such as Rembrandt made acid-etched plates a major art form. It reached English by 1630s as etch. Later used figuratively for something fixed firmly in memory. Today, etch means to engrave a design with acid; to fix firmly in the mind.

1. Stage 1 · German · medieval ätzen "to corrode, cause to eat", a causative of 'essen', to eat: literally 'to make something eat', as acid eats metal.
2. Stage 2 · Dutch · 1600s etsen "to etch", Dutch printmakers such as Rembrandt made acid-etched plates a major art form.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1630s etch "to engrave with acid", later used figuratively for something fixed firmly in memory.