exception

Where does the word "exception" come from? It comes from Latin excipere, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Exception’s story begins in Latin: excipere meant “to take out, to exclude.” To take out, to exclude, from ex- (out) and capere (to take). Within Latin, it grew into exceptio by ancient. A taking out, an objection, from excipere. From there it passed into Old French as exception by medieval. Carried into French for something excluded from a general rule. It reached English by 1300s as exception. Settled as the English word for something that does not follow the general rule. Today, exception means a person or thing that does not follow the general rule or pattern.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient excipere "to take out, to exclude", to take out, to exclude, from ex- (out) and capere (to take).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient exceptio "a taking out, an exclusion", a taking out, an objection, from excipere.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval exception "something excluded from a general rule", carried into French for something excluded from a general rule.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s exception "something that does not follow the general rule", settled as the English word for something that does not follow the general rule.