relegate

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

Relegate’s story begins in Latin: legare meant “to send, to depute.” To send, to depute, combined with re- (back, away). Within Latin, it grew into relegare by ancient. To send away, to banish, from re- and legare. It reached English by 1500s as relegate. Settled as the English word for assigning someone to a lower rank or position. Today, relegate means to assign someone or something to a lower or less important rank or position.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient legare "to send, to depute", to send, to depute, combined with re- (back, away).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient relegare "to send away, to banish", to send away, to banish, from re- and legare.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s relegate "to assign someone to a lower rank or less important position", settled as the English word for assigning someone to a lower rank or position.