Etymology Map
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Rent

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means regular payment made to use property owned by someone else

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

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

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.