rent

Where does the word "rent" come from? It comes from Latin reddere, passing through Old French before entering English (1100s).

Rent’s story begins in Latin: reddere meant “to give back.” 're-', back, plus 'dare', to give; also the root of 'render'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as rente. Income from property; in modern French it still means an annuity. It reached English by 1100s as rent. Shifted from what a landlord received to what a tenant paid. Today, rent means regular payment made to use property owned by someone else.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient reddere "to give back", 're-', back, plus 'dare', to give; also the root of 'render'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval rente "revenue, income", income from property; in modern French it still means an annuity.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1100s rent "payment for use of property", shifted from what a landlord received to what a tenant paid.