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Protect

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to keep safe from harm

Where does the word "protect" come from? It comes from Latin protegere, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

protegere→proteger→protect

Latin · ancient

"to cover in front"

'pro-', before, plus 'tegere', to cover

Old French · medieval

Latin 'protegere' meant to cover in front, from 'tegere', to cover, a root shared with 'thatch'

English · 1400s

'protective custody' dates from the 1900s

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Read the full story

Protect’s story begins in Latin: protegere meant “to cover in front.” 'pro-', before, plus 'tegere', to cover. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as proteger. Latin 'protegere' meant to cover in front, from 'tegere', to cover, a root shared with 'thatch'. It reached English by 1400s as protect. 'protective custody' dates from the 1900s. Today, protect means to keep safe from harm.