resign

Where does the word "resign" come from? It comes from Latin resignare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Resign’s story begins in Latin: resignare meant “to unseal, give up.” 're-' plus 'signare', to seal. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as resigner. Latin 'resignare', to unseal, to cancel an entry in an account. It reached English by 1300s as resign. 'resigned' to fate dates from the 1600s. Today, resign means to leave a job voluntarily.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient resignare "to unseal, give up", 're-' plus 'signare', to seal.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval resigner "to give up", Latin 'resignare', to unseal, to cancel an entry in an account.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s resign "to give up office", 'resigned' to fate dates from the 1600s.