paint

Where does the word "paint" come from? It comes from Latin pingere, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Paint’s story begins in Latin: pingere meant “to paint.” The same root as 'picture' and 'pigment'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as peint. The past participle became the English verb. It reached English by 1200s as paint. 'paint the town red' dates from the 1880s. Today, paint means coloured liquid; to cover with it.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pingere "to paint", the same root as 'picture' and 'pigment'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval peint "painted", the past participle became the English verb.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s paint "to apply colour", 'paint the town red' dates from the 1880s.