relax

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

Relax’s story begins in Latin: relaxare meant “to loosen.” 're-' plus 'laxare', to loosen. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as relaxer. In the late 1300s it was mainly a medical word for loosening muscles; 'relax' and 'release' are doublets of the same Latin verb. It reached English by 1400s as relax. The sense 'rest' dates from the 1930s. Today, relax means to become less tense.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient relaxare "to loosen", 're-' plus 'laxare', to loosen.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval relaxer "to release", in the late 1300s it was mainly a medical word for loosening muscles; 'relax' and 'release' are doublets of the same Latin verb.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s relax "to loosen", the sense 'rest' dates from the 1930s.