inscribe

Where does the word "inscribe" come from? It comes from Latin inscribere, and was adopted directly into English (1550s).

Inscribe’s story begins in Latin: inscribere meant “to write into, to engrave.” To write into, to engrave, from in- (into) and scribere (to write). It reached English by 1550s as inscribe. Settled as the English word for writing or engraving something onto a surface. Today, inscribe means to write or engrave words onto a surface, such as stone or a book.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient inscribere "to write into, to engrave", to write into, to engrave, from in- (into) and scribere (to write).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1550s inscribe "to write or engrave something onto a surface", settled as the English word for writing or engraving something onto a surface.