moment

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

Moment’s story begins in Latin: movere meant “to move.” To move, giving rise to momentum (a moving power, a particle of time). Within Latin, it grew into momentum by ancient. A movement, an instant, from movere. From there it passed into Old French as moment by medieval. Carried into French for a very brief period of time. It reached English by 1300s as moment. Settled as the English word for a very brief period of time. Today, moment means a very brief period of time, or a particular point in time.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient movere "to move", to move, giving rise to momentum (a moving power, a particle of time).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient momentum "a movement, an instant", a movement, an instant, from movere.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval moment "a very brief period of time", carried into French for a very brief period of time.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s moment "a very brief period of time", settled as the English word for a very brief period of time.