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Where does the word "explicate" come from? It comes from Latin explicare, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).
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Where does the word "explicate" come from? It comes from Latin explicare, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).
Explicate’s story begins in Latin: explicare meant “to unfold, to explain.” To unfold, to explain, from ex- (out) and plicare (to fold). It reached English by 1530s as explicate. Settled as the English word for explaining something in detail. Today, explicate means to explain something in detail, unfolding its meaning.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient explicare "to unfold, to explain", to unfold, to explain, from ex- (out) and plicare (to fold).
- Stage 2 · English · 1530s explicate "to explain something in detail", settled as the English word for explaining something in detail.