recipient

Where does the word "recipient" come from? It comes from Latin recipere, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Recipient’s story begins in Latin: recipere meant “to take back, to receive.” To take back, to receive, from re- (back) and capere (to take). Within Latin, it grew into recipiens by ancient. One who receives, present participle of recipere. It reached English by 1500s as recipient. Settled as the English word for a person who receives something. Today, recipient means a person or thing that receives something.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient recipere "to take back, to receive", to take back, to receive, from re- (back) and capere (to take).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient recipiens "one who receives", one who receives, present participle of recipere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s recipient "a person who receives something", settled as the English word for a person who receives something.