invoke

Where does the word "invoke" come from? It comes from Latin invocare, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Invoke’s story begins in Latin: invocare meant “to call upon.” To call upon, from in- (upon) and vocare (to call). It reached English by 1400s as invoke. Settled as the English word for calling upon a higher power, or citing an authority. Today, invoke means to call upon a higher power for help, or to cite something as support for an argument.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient invocare "to call upon", to call upon, from in- (upon) and vocare (to call).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s invoke "to call upon a higher power, or to cite as support", settled as the English word for calling upon a higher power, or citing an authority.