Etymology Map
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Etch

3 stages from German to English.

Today it means to engrave a design with acid; to fix firmly in the mind

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

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

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.